In The End
by Darth Malleus
Summary: What happens to a person after death? Naruto Uzumaki is about to find out
1. Prologue, Arc I: Enter the Soul Society

_**Naruto**_

_**Bleach**_

_**In the End**_

**_Arc 01_**

**_Enter the Soul Society_**

_**Prologue**_

_Music:_

_Sadness and Sorrow, Naruto OST; Grief and Sorrow, Naruto OST_

Where was he?

The gentle breeze brushing against his skin, the fresh smell of grass, the babbling noises of a calm stream not ten feet away, slowly opening his ocean blue eyes the boy looked at his surroundings.

He was lying against a tree, an ancient oak which could have been over a hundred years old, its great branches reaching out over him, shading him from the suns midmorning rays. He was surrounded by blades of healthy green grass. A small stream lay in front of him, its clear water allowing him to view the forms of trout or salmon fighting against the current.

Bewildered he rose to his feet, surveying the area around him. He did not remember this place. Confused he fell back against the tree, arms folded, eyes closed. Trying to remember where he was before.

_The smells of smoke and charred flesh_

_The flickering of flames, whose reddish hue made the clouds themselves look like they were overflowing with blood. _

_A young woman's cries, whose voice seemed so familiar,_

_Naruto!!!_

With a gasp he opened his eyes, seeing the blood red sky replaced by a beautiful blue, white clouds lazily following their current. He shook his head, slapped his face with both hands, and rose once again. He walked over to the stream, kneeled on the banks surrounding the river, cupped up a handful of water and splashed it across his face. The cool feeling did nothing to perturb his raging memories.

_A young woman, her hair the colour of sakura blossoms, her eyes a brilliant green, loomed over him. Her hands grabbing his shoulders, trying desperately to shake him awake._

_She was crying, tears running freely down her face._

_Her mouth was moving, yet the words felt like they were being spoken by someone far away._

_Naruto!!! Wake up! Please, don't die! Not like this!!!_

His eyes opened again, a gentle breeze blew over him, the surrounding blades of grass moving with the current.

Naruto

His name was Naruto

He cupped the water in his hands again and raised them to his lips, taking a drink.

_He was on his knees, holding the dying form a young woman in his arms. Her lavender eyes looking up at him, long dark blue hair spread out like a halo across her pale face, spatters of red across her pale cheeks._

"_I…I love you…ever since I first met you" she whispered, before coughing weakly, blood dribbling from the right corner of her mouth "I don't know if you…feel the same…for me…but-"_

He opened his eyes, feeling warm water flow down his cheeks. He reached up with his right hand. He was crying.

_He was starring down a man roughly his age, looking into Sharingan eyes, the pupils similar in form to a shuriken, the tips reaching up to the edges of his crimson irises__._

"_Sassukkee!!" he growled, his voice filled with anger._

"_Finally" Uchiha murmured._

He balled his hands up into fists, so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Standing up and shaking his head, allowing droplets of water to fly in every direction, he decided to look around for any signs of civilization. He began walking, his head swarming with memories.

Incoherent, crazy, overlapping, endless memories

_The village was burning_

_Every structure of his home was in flames, some so overtaken that they began to crumble. Bodies lay all around him, many remaining where they had fallen. In a daze he walked through the carnage, and came across a body_

_Blonde hair, unkempt and spiky, whisker like markings decorated his cheeks, reminding him of those of a fox, sapphire blue eyes, once vibrant, now deadened and hollow._

_There was just something in those eyes which stopped him from turning away, a determination in that gaze which transcended life and death. He had never given up, even when the blade stabbed through his chest. He kept fighting until his last breath._

_That same girl with cherry blossom colored hair lay a few feet away, her right hand pressing against a wound in her abdomen, eyes closed, face still and peaceful, even with the spatters of blood above her left eye and at the corners of her mouth._

_He pressed a hand against his chest, feeling a pain greater than any wound. He felt something which was not supposed to be there. He looked down to see that he was holding onto a chain, a link of steel ringlets attached to his chest._

"_Another one, huh?"_

_He looked around to see a single being approach him, dressed in a black Shihakusho, a type of kimono dress which he had seen in Samurai, and like a samurai he wore a katana, sheathed to a belt at his side. This man had blonde hair, light blonde, which like his was unkempt and spiky, and his dark eyes had calmness to them as he walked across the massacre._

"_This is a disaster" he went on "So much death, Hollows will be drawn to this place like moths to a flame"_

_In a smooth motion he drew his katana, the blade flickering in the fire light. Naruto jumped away, reaching for a kunai or shuriken in his knee pouch. _

"_Relax" the man said "This will only take a moment"_

"_What…" Naruto began, before feeling a great weight fall upon his shoulders, forced to his knees, panting for breath like he had run a marathon. _

"_I'm surprised you were able to move like you did" the man spoke, standing in front of him now, sword held idly "Usually a newly severed soul like yourself can barely lift a finger, especially after being forced from your body"_

"_What…what are you taking…about" Naruto asked between gasps for air._

"_You didn't know" the Samurai asked, eyebrows raised "I hate to tell you this, but…you're dead"_

_Shock covered his face, he shook his head "No, that can't be"_

"_I'm sorry" the man replied "But its true, the only reason you can see me is if you are dead, or close to it"_

_But" he panicked "They're all counting on me, I can't die yet, I have to save my friends, I have to save the village. I'm the Hokage, it's my duty!"_

"_It's too late" the samurai cut him off mildly "You're chain of fate has been severed, you cannot return to your body" he raised his katana, the butt pointed at Naruto's head._

"_Who are you?"_

_He smiled faintly at the question, and decided to answer the dead Ninja "Urahara Kisuke, Shinigami" he pressed the butt of his sword against the young man's forehead._

_Naruto was covered by a blinding white light, then all of his pain was gone._

* * *

_**I've **__**wanted to do a Bleach/Naruto crossover for a while now, but could never get the beginning just right. The idea has been blasting through my skull for a while know, and just refused to budge. So I've decided to start it up.**_

_**Updates may be limited at first, **__**because I have a few other stories I need to get done. **_


	2. Wandering Soul, Lost Shinigami

_**Chapter 001**_

_**Wandering Soul, Lost Shinigami**_

_**------**_

**I have a poll on my Fanfic page which will be important for the future of this story. **_**The name of Naruto's Zanpakuto**_**. If you want a say in the name then just vote, if you can think of a better name then tell me through the review panel.**

**------**

_Music_

_Morning, Naruto OST; Head in the Clouds; Bleach Original; Naruto Main Theme; Naruto OST_

The sun rose lazily over the horizon, bathing the streets and run-down houses in the mornings glow. In the main streets vendors and stall owners were already up and dressed, setting up their places of business and preparing for the day ahead.

The slight warmth of the rising sun was what woke him from his slumber, opening his ocean blue eyes to see the cloudless, equally blue sky. He sat up and yawned, stretching out his arms and legs to get the stiffness out of them, sleeping on a roof was not comfortable. In one sweeping move he jumped to his feet and looked out over the still sleeping mass of houses and hovels.

How long has he been in this netherworld?

Wandering from place to place in search of those faces which haunted his dreams?

With an irritated sigh Naruto Uzumaki walked to the perimeter of the roof and took a step over the edge. As he fell he performed a somersault, and landed on the ground in a crouch. He rose from his squat, looking around for any signs of life. A drunk lay in a corner, an empty bottle of Saki in his right hand, other than him, no one.

As he walked through the pathway Naruto mused on how much his appearance changed since he came here, he had always been independent when he was alive. With no father and mother he had no choice. But at least in the Village he had a home, food, clothes and a soft bed. When he came here he had nothing, just the clothes on his back and the weapons in his pouch.

He no longer wore the orange jumpsuit, now he sported a simple grey kimono. His blonde hair had grown longer and messier. Sometimes he mused how much he looked like his father when he looked in a mirror. He doubted that even the Purvey Sage could tell them apart.

Remembering Jiraiya brought mixed feelings for Naruto. He remembered all the times they shared, the hard training the old man had put him through, the many times they bickered about his _research _for his books, that memory made Naruto chuckle, the ramen they ate together, the times when he showed him a new jutsu or move he had learned, the times where they just sat and talked.

Naruto had nothing but fond memories for his godfather and sensei. But then he remembered how he died, and sadness would creep into those memories.

The Purvey Sage was one of the people he was looking for. This was the afterlife. He had to be around here somewhere. His stomach growled. When he had first arrived here he had tried to get some information out of a small group of travellers. They could tell right away that he was a new soul. They told him that this world was called the Soul Society, how here you would never get hungry, or grow old.

_Never get hungry my ass _Naruto thought, wandering if he should kick the damn moron in the face if he ever saw him again.

He walked down the street to his favourite spot in the whole town, a little ramen stand located on the main street, if he was reading the sun right then that meant it would be open soon.

He heard cursing and yelling behind him, which only meant one thing. Someone had stolen something from one of the vendors, again. With a sigh Naruto turned to see a child, a girl maybe ten or twelve running towards him, holding a handful of fruit tightly against her chest. Two men were chasing after her, one of whom was wielding a butcher's knife. Naruto wasn't surprised. This was the infamous Hanging Dog district after all.

She ran into a corner and vanished from view, followed moments later by her two pursuers.

Naruto took a few steps on his original course, stopped, sighed and turned around, heading towards the side alley he saw the girl run through. He knew from his earlier morning walks that that way led to a dead end. As he turned the corner he saw a scene which disgusted him.

The two of them were standing over the girls form. Curled up in a ball, eyes closed shut, crying softly as they kicked her, the fruit she had ran with was scattered across the side street. Then one of the men raised his knife, ready to strike her. That was the last straw.

"Stupid little bitch" he snarled, not noticing the former Ninja's approach "Think you can steal from us and get away with it!?"

He came forward and grabbed the man's arm, stopping him from delivering the deadly swing "That's enough" he growled.

"Who do you think you are" the man snarled "She stole from us, she has to pay!"

"I said that's enough" Naruto rebuked "Take the fruit and go!"

He tried to force his arm from the blonde stranger's vicelike grip. The other one came forward, his right fist raised. Naruto ducked the punch, letting go of the first mans knife arm. Blocking the fist with his palm he brought up his free hand and punched the man in the face, sending him staggering back.

Sensing danger he ducked a swipe of the first mans knife, spun around, grabbed his outstretched hand and threw him over his shoulder. He hit the other man and they both landed in a heap. They forced themselves to their feet, anger and hate spread across their faces.

"You bastard" one roared "We'll get you for this!"

"Bring it on fool" Naruto replied with a grim smirk, making the sign of a cross with his hands "I'll bring it back to you a thousand fold"

He took a deep breath "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

------

There had to be a better place to get what she wanted. In all of the Soul Society there had to be, just had to be a better centre than the bloody Howling Dog District. The name on its own was enough to give him tremors. He hated dogs.

He walked down the main street of one of the worst districts in all of the Soul Society, his black Shihakusho and sheathed Zanpakuto gaining the attention of all around him. To the inhabitants of West Rukongai a Shinigami walking down their streets was rare, especially a lost Shinigami reading a small scrap of paper.

Kisuke Urahara sighed, reading the contents which his best friend wanted. He had spent many minutes arguing with her that there had to be a better place to get these goods, closer to the Seireitei perhaps?

She was adamant and, as usual unyielding. He imagined her sitting in her throne like chair, laughing at him and his predicament.

_Curse you Yoruichi _he thought half heartedly.

It was then that two men passed by him, or for a better term thrown past him. They both slammed into a stall, the wooden structure buckling under the impact. He pressed himself against a worn wooden wall and peeked around the corner, what he saw was surprising.

Three identical beings stood in the hallway. Wearing simple brown male kimonos, their hair blonde and unkempt, with whisker like markings on their cheeks and vibrant blue eyes, the three seemed to be mirror images of each other, an opinion bolstered by the united statement.

"Hah" all three said as one "Is that all you got?"

Two of them disappeared in puffs of white smoke, startling the young officer. They had just vanished without a trace. What could it be? Some type of exotic Kido? The scientist within him was intrigued, more than intrigued. The last man remaining turned around and walked towards the back of the alley.

His mind was raging with possibilities. They could have been illusions, or some type of cloning Kido. But he had never heard of such a spell, and he had studied both the destructive Hado and the Binding Bakudo spells thoroughly.

This was something else.

Wanting to know more Kisuke stayed where he was. Reaching into his spiritual energy he concentrated, shutting it off, he doubted this boy had such advanced sensing abilities, but it never hurt to be sure. He continued to monitor the boy, not even noticing as the two men regained consciousness and ran from the scene, a wish for revenge on their minds.

------

"Hey" he said softly, reaching down with his hand to gently shake the shoulder of the still curled up girl.

He realised that she was shaking, her little form raking with sobs, tears were running down her face, and she visibly flinched from his touch.

"It's alright" he said as softly as he could "Their gone, its ok"

He reached out with his hand, offering it to her. She looked up at him, glistening ice blue eyes staring through him to his soul. Timidly she took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet. She continued to look at him, as if searching for any sign of a trick. There was none.

Naruto offered her a grin "You on your own?"

She nodded and to his surprise darted forward and grabbed onto his kimono, not looking like she was going to let go. Naruto, surprised at first ruffled her hair. It was then that he heard a groan from her stomach. He gave her an incredulous look, and saw that she was blushing.

He chuckled "Come on, I know just what you need"

She nodded timidly, and let him lead her out of the dark alley into the main street.

------

The ramen stand was no where near as good as the one he remembered from Konoha, but its dishes were still some of the best he had eaten during his year of living in the Soul Society. Located on the main street of Howling Dog, with a vegetable stand to its left and a meats stand to its right, the former Ninja had already memorised its location and committed it to memory.

He pushed back the curtain and looked in to see the same old man standing behind the worn counter.

He looked at Naruto and smirked "Hey Blondie, the usual I'm guessing?"

"You bet" Naruto replied with a grin "And another for my friend here"

He looked over the counter and starred incredulously at the child holding onto his best customer's kimono "You picking up stray's now?"

"Just get the ramen old man" he shot back lightly, taking a seat by the counter and motioning his guest to do the same, she sat down timidly, her eyes concentrated on the surface of the bar.

"So what's the story" the old man asked as he mixed the noodles, vegetables and meats into the frying pan "Where'd you find her?"

"She was being beaten up by a couple of lowlifes" Naruto replied.

"Common story around here I suppose" the ramen owner said "Most of the people here are up to their necks with something illegal, the kids have no one to look up to and are on their own. Most of 'em die young"

"For the afterlife this place is almost as bad as the world of the living" the blonde huffed.

"You got that right" he agreed.

Ten minutes passed before the ramen was ready, Naruto ate his with the same gusto that he remembered having when he was just a Genin in Konoha. The child looked at the food, picking at it with her chopsticks, but eventually started eating with the same enthusiasm that her saviour did.

The old man looked between the two, thought that they must have been related, shrugged and got back to cleaning his little stall.

"So you got a name" Naruto asked, wiping his mouth and placing his chopsticks beside his empty bowl "I can't keep calling you 'hey you' all the time"

The little girl seemed to think about it for a moment before answering him, her voice timid "Rangiku"

"Rangiku huh" Naruto asked as she slurped up the last of her ramen "That's a strange name. I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto"

She giggled "That's a strange name too"

"You think so" he asked, feigning confusion "I think it's a really cool name"

She giggled again.

"So what's your full name?"

"Matsu-moto Rangiku" she replied, having trouble with the syllabus of her last name.

"Do you have family around here" he asked carefully, her face seemed to fall.

"There was someone with me, but he just disappeared" she said with a snivel, sighing Naruto ruffled her hair.

"I get it" he said, eyes closed "Hey old man, another couple of bowls"

------

Kisuke watched the ramen stand from the relative safety of a ridge on the building across the street, his form crouched, like a blackbird watching something of interest.

He was certain, he had seen this kid somewhere before, he recognised the facial features now that he had a chance to get a closer look. He racked his brain, trying to remember who it was. Most likely he was a soul he had recently sent to the Soul Society.

He knew that until six months ago there had been a major war in the world of the living. He knew this because he led a platoon of Shinigami there to fight off the hordes of Hollow drawn to the battles, and to Konso the departed souls to the Soul Society. Then it clicked, he was one of the first souls he had saved.

He caught a glimmer of movement out of the corner of his eye, and looked to see a small crowd of men forming, nearly twenty men wearing drab kimonos, and carrying a mixture of random weapons including sticks, butchers knives and knuckledusters. Taking a closer look the Shinigami saw the two men the boy had beaten before, looking smug.

Against a Shinigami of his level this many souls would have been a mere hindrance to him. He wasn't so sure for the blonde haired man who was even now rising from his seat, turning around and left the ramen shop.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the mob.

------

"Uh oh" Naruto muttered under his breath, watching with rising dread as the mass of murderous looking individuals starred at him. Rangiku saw the mob, and grabbed onto her protectors kimono, clutching onto the fabric until her little fists turned white.

"Ah come on guys" Naruto said, feigning a smile "You guys started to whole thing, lets just all calm down and have a bowl of ramen, on me?"

"Sorry kid" one of the men said, this guy was obviously the leader of this little mob "You beat up a couple of my guys, now you have to die"

"Well I couldn't afford ramen for all of you anyway" the blonde admitted, scratching the back of his head "But really, we don't have to do this"

"You little punk" a man with a shaved head and a rusty katana growled "Well teach you to mess with the Howling Dogs"

He charged straight for Naruto, blade held over his head ready for a downward stroke. In a quick flow of movement he pushed Rangiku to the side, adding a silent apology as she landed in a heap, safely out of the way.

He reached into his satchel, located at his leg, and deftly pulled out a kunai knife, spinning it in his hand a few times before bringing it up in time to block the sword. He lashed out with his right foot, catching the man in the abdomen and sending him staggering back. He then jumped in the air, and performed a flawless roundhouse kick, striking him in the face and sending him spinning to the ground.

He fell into a defensive stance, kunai held backwards in his right hand "Better warn you guys. Before I died I was considered one of the best Shinobi of my time"

"Naruto nii-chan" he turned to the cry and saw Rangiku, a knife held to her throat, her eyes wide in fear. The man holding her was the leader, a feral snarl on his face.

"Now I think that's enough" the man snarled "Throw that little weapon to the ground, as well as that pouch on your knee"

His blood was boiling, how this scumbag dares to use a child as a shield. His murderous gaze not leaving he dropped his kunai, and then reached down under his kimono to pull the weapons satchel from his leg. He held it in midair before dropping it. The man laughed.

"A Ninja huh" the man muttered "I used to be one too, names Teppei, former Chunnin from the Village Hidden in the Rocks"

"Naruto" he growled back "Former Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves"

That seemed to strike a cord with this Teppei, his eyes widened in fear for a moment, before falling back to that cold stare "Hokage huh, well you're not anymore, step into the centre of the street. If you don't then this girl will be missing her head!"

Naruto starred at him for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and walking into the centre of the mob, ignoring their smug smirks and murderous glares, these men were all murderers, thieves, bandits.

"Very good, now just let my protégés kill you"

Two men came running at Naruto, one from the front and another from behind. He did not move. He didn't even flinch as they stabbed him, the one in front with a knife, and the one behind with a woodcutting axe.

"Naruto nii-chan no" Rangiku started.

"Not another word out of you" Teppei growled, inching his knife closer to her neck, she sobbed and hiccupped "Cry all you want but there's no one who will save you now"

Just then the falling body exploded into a mass of white smoke, all in attendance jumped back in surprise, even their boss "What the hell, a Shadow Clone? Impossible!!!"

Suddenly Naruto was behind him, and as the mob boss turned he was met with a fist to his face, sending him flying back several feet before hitting the dusty road hard. Rangiku stood as rigid as a statue, eyes closed, shivering. She opened them and turned.

"Naruto nii-san" she started in disbelief, then her eyes welled up with tears and she ran into him, crying into his kimono.

"Sorry 'bout that" Naruto apologised, a silly grin on his face as he scratched the back of his head "Hey come on, your gonna get it all wet"

"You, but how" the Chunnin cried as he crawled back, his hand holding onto his face, the nose broken "No one can use Jutsu after they die, I lost all my Jutsu. I know former Ninja who have lost all of their Jutsu!"

"Really" Naruto asked, gently pushing Rangiku behind him "I thought it wasn't anything special"

"And when did you create a Shadow Clone anyway!?"

"After I beat up your two fools" Naruto answered with a Cheshire cats grin "I could smell that they were going to be back, so I created a clone and switched with him before I entered the ramen shop"

"You bastard" Teppei roared "Kill him, kill him now!"

Five of them came rushing at him then, two holding old katana's, another with a butchers knife and another two holding sticks. He fell back and prepared himself. His first move was a spin, catching the closest guy off guard and sending him back with a punch to his face, breaking his nose.

He turned again, blocking the second's knife arm by grabbing his wrist and sending him flying over his shoulder, slamming against the third and sending the two of them into a heap. He ducked a swipe from the fourths blade, and delivered a deadly uppercut to his chin, his feet left the ground for a moment. But Naruto did not see the fifth, he had stabbed out with his katana, and he knew that he couldn't avoid the blow.

There was a blur, and a man dressed in black appeared to his right, he reared back with his right hand and delivered a simple palm strike to the fifth mans abdomen, such a simple attack with such a devastating result. The man flew back with such force that he slammed into a group of three others, nearly fifteen meters away.

The newcomer rose to his feet, and Naruto was able to get a good look at him. He wore a black Shihakusho, with a katana sheathed to his waist. The former Shinobi recognised the outfit as that of the man who had sent him to this world. In fact he recognised the messy straw coloured hair, the slightly rugged features covered in stubble and the grey eyes.

"Oh boy" Kisuke Urahara said nonchalantly "Twenty against one is not very fair, now two against twenty sounds a little better"

* * *

**As for anyone wondering about the music on the top of the chapter, **_**Morning **_**is for the first scene of the chapter, **_**Head in the Clouds **_**is for the scene where Kisuke is lost in the main street and **_**Naruto's Main Theme **_**for when he confronted the thugs. These were the songs which I listened to when I was writing the scenes, and thus I thought that I should put them up.**


	3. Empress of the Flash

_**Chapter 002**_

_**Empress of the Flash**_

_Music_

_The Raising Fighting Spirit; Naruto OST, Enemy Unseen; Bleach OST, On the Precipice of Defeat; Bleach OST_

"I know you"

The Shinigami turned his head to see the man he had just saved. The young man looked to be in his late teens, possibly early twenties now that he was close enough to see.

"Yep" he replied with a smile "I bet you do, it was me who-"

In a flash Naruto punched him in the face, sending Kisuke reeling back, a more baffled than pained expression on his features. The fifteen surviving mobsters also looked at the suddenly violent exchange in complete confusion. The damn kid just delivered a straight punch to the Shinigami who had saved him.

The Shinigami starred at his attacker, his right hand covering his bruised jaw "What the hell was that for!"

"For sending me here against my will"

"Excuse me?"

"I told you not to send me here" Naruto roared, not caring as spittle flew from his mouth "I still had something important to do!"

Unimpressed Kisuke whipped the spittle from his face "How could you do that important something when you were dead genius?"

"I would have figured something out"

"I would have figured something out" Kisuke mimicked, seemingly taking it in his stride, then he swooped forward and grabbed Naruto by his collar "Are you out of your mind, wait, I take it back…you are out of you mind"

"Bite me"

"If I had left you there with the Hollows that would've happened"

"Would have made for better company" Naruto murmured.

"Do you even know what a Hollow is?"

"What's a Hollow?"

"You really don't know!?"

"Not like I was dead long enough to find out" Naruto shot back.

"Hey leaches" Teppei howled, stamping towards them "Have you two forgotten that we're he-"

The two of them reeled round, and punched him, straight in the face with perfect synchrony.

"Shut up fool" the two roared in unison.

The former Chuunin flew back like he had been hit by a freight train, skidding across the street like a pebble thrown across calm water. He slammed through a wall, splintering the timber and lay there, his feet dangling.

The rest of the mob gapped as their boss broke through the wooden barrier. Meanwhile the Shinigami and the deceased Ninja were about to restart their heated _discussion_.

Seeing the chance two of them went running straight for the bickering pair, quickening their pace when it looked like they were going to hit each other. The two swung their fists, but their targets weren't each other.

Naruto's fist went over Kisuke's head by millimetres, impacting against the face of the man behind him.

Kisuke ducked, reeled back with his right fist and delivered a deadly body blow to the man behind Naruto.

Both men flew back, landing on the ground and skidding across the surface, kicking up dust. The two let the momentum of their attacks send them forward by a couple of steps, then they were back to back, a confused Rangiku between them.

Both were smiling.

"Sorry about that" Naruto apologised "Wanted to make them think they had us"

"I figured as much" Urahara replied, his hand feeling his jaw "You're not a bad strategist, could have lain off though"

"I was a little pissed off that you sent me here before I could find my friends"

"In that case when this is over I have a proposition for you" Kisuke said.

"Fine" Naruto agreed "Thirteen left, you take the six on your side, and I'll take the seven on mine"

"Deal"

"Rangiku-Chan" Naruto said softly, drawing her attention "Stay here and don't move an inch, got it?"

She nodded.

In a blur the two took off in opposite directions. The men they had charged seemed to still be getting over the fact that they're leader had been taken out, and so were easy prey.

Naruto made a hand sign, a smile curving his lips "Sorry guys, I'm gonna have to make this quick!" he took a breath "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!_"

The seven men looked on in horror as one man became fourteen, and just like that the tables had turned from seven on one to fourteen on seven. All they had time for was to scream before they were assailed by a mass of fists.

The Shinigami looked back and whistled, before turning his head to face the six men he had been left with. He vanished from their sights, only for them to see him flying well above them, his black kimono flapping in the wind. He gripped his Zanpakuto, drew it and, holding onto the hilt with both hands pointed it to the ground.

He landed in a crouch, right in the middle of the cluster of souls, the sword stabbed into the dusty road, the Shinigami smiled "As much fun as it would be to beat you all too bloody pulps, I have a much more urgent matter to attend to" he took a deep breath "Cry, Benihime!"

Cracks appeared along the ground he was standing on, crimson light blazing from the recently created fissures. The ground beneath his and the mobsters feet heaved, then exploded in a flash of red light. By the time the light faded the Shinigami was walking away from the unconscious forms of six men, sheathing his sword as he walked.

Naruto saw the whole thing, and unconsciously whistled "Now that was impressive"

"Thank you" Kisuke said, before extending his hand "The name's Urahara, Urahara Kisuke"

Naruto took the hand without hesitation and shook it "Its Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto"

"Well Naruto-kun I think I had a proposition for you"

"Yeah, you did"

"Well I'll tell you after one small thing"

"And what is that"

"Do you know where I can find a place called _Howling Dogs Ramen Bar_?"

------

"So what was this proposition?"

Kisuke looked up from his beef ramen, still in the middle of slurping up a mass of noodles. Once again Naruto found himself in the same ramen shop he and Rangiku had gone to earlier. Considering that they had already eaten the two decided to just buy a couple of drinks, while their new acquaintance ate his food and waited for a special order.

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot" Urahara said after a moment "Naruto, what do you know of the Shinigami?"

"Not much more than the stories in the living world" the former Hokage answered, taking a sip of his lemonade "The Shinigami are spirits who reap the souls of the recently departed and transport them to the afterlife"

"You know the basic principle anyway" Kisuke replied, taking a moment to lift the bowl and slurp away the remains, he slammed it onto the table with a happy exhale of breath "But there's more. In the real world there are two basic types of recently departed souls. First are Wholes, normal souls of recently deceased humans. Then there is the second type, Hollows"

Naruto paid attention, nodding and waiting for him to continue.

"Hollows are basically humans who have remained Wholes for too long" he continued "Their loneliness and sorrow consume them, corrupting their souls and turning them into monsters. They hunt Wholes or living humans who gain their attention"

Kisuke looked at Naruto, saw that he was still listening intently and continued "A Shinigami has two jobs. The first is to conduct Wholes to the Soul Society by way of Konso, or Soul Burial. The second is to vaporise Hollows and purify their souls so they can enter the Soul Society"

There was silence for a while as Naruto digested what he had heard. If he was twelve again this whole thing would have went through one ear and out the other, but he had grown since then. Rangiku was listening as well, but like Naruto when he was twelve the information went in one ear and out the other. She was finding her empty glass more interesting, tapping it reminiscently.

Finally Naruto spoke "So what does this have to do with me?"

"You have the ability to become a Shinigami" Kisuke stated.

"Me" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Yes" Kisuke said with a nod "You see the difference between Shinigami and all other souls is that their life force or Rieryoku has developed to the point where they can control and harness it at will. You have already shown me you can do that with one simple fact, you can use those strange skills of yours, especially when this Teppei character said that those skills should have been nullified when you passed on"

Naruto was silent, mauling over what he was hearing.

"If you are unsure" Kisuke said after several moments of silence "Come with me, there is someone I would like you to meet" he looked down to Rangiku, seeing that she looked a little depressed at being left out "You can come too, I checked you out when I saw you. You have the same ability?"

She looked to Naruto, who offered her a grin "Hey I can't leave you here on your own can I? I want to take you somewhere safe first"

The old man walked up to the counter, hauling a massive bag, grinning like he had become rich overnight "Here's your express order sir"

Kisuke looked at the huge bag, groaned and reached into his pocket for the money.

------

Naruto had seen many places where the elite of the elemental countries called home, he had stepped into the mighty palaces of feudal lords and been 'graced' by the presence of the upper aristocracy of the Fire Country, his position as Hokage of Konohagakure demanded it.

And most of the time, when he had finished his duties he had only one thing to say about each and every one of them.

What a bunch of windbags.

So when his new acquaintance led him and his charge to a large gateway Naruto sighed.

_Great, they have pompous windbags in the Soul Society too_

Before him was a long wall of white stone, easily four meters tall. It was difficult to see the interior of the compound, but Naruto could tell that there were a lot of large, beautifully built structures within.

Ahead of them was a large set of heavy double doors, a symbol etched into the white wood. The centre of the symbol was a crescent moon, surrounded by a diamond, long lines stretching from the tips. Surrounding it where two long rectangles, each overlapping the other, and five pointed stars on the outer lines, all entrapped within a hexagon.

"It's the crest of the Shihoin family" Kisuke explained as they walked towards it, noticing the young man studying the symbol.

"Shihoin" Naruto turned the word around in his mouth.

"Its one of the four main noble families within the Soul Society" the Shinigami explained.

As they continued walking Naruto saw the great double doors open with a creek. Kisuke walked through without a seconds thought, and his two guests followed, although more reluctantly. When they were all inside the double doors closed, Naruto looked around and shook his head in bewilderment.

The main house was easily a half dozen stories tall, and built under the design of an ancient Japanese style palace. It was not so much a house, but around four or five closely situated together, walkways connecting them to each other. Their overall design seemed to represent the perimeter of a circle with a large courtyard in the centre.

The overall size and spectacle of these structures left the former Ninja in a state of awe. He had never seen anything like this in all his time in the Soul Society. Urahara wordlessly led them through the courtyard into the first house, pushing aside a pair of sliding doors.

"Well Naruto-kun, Rangiku-chan" he stated "My mistress awaits"

------

He got a better view of the area surrounding the house as he was led down one of the walkways. The surrounding area was covered with courtyards, each one easily large enough to hold at least a battalion of men.

As they neared their destination Naruto noticed men were standing at attention, wearing black outfits, the tops of their heads covered with bandanas while their mouths were covered by some kind of cloth. Naruto looked at them for a moment, before shaking his head, they couldn't be Ninja.

Rangiku was staying close to Naruto, in fact she was holding onto his kimono, refusing to budge, even though she had to make a couple of swift steps to keep up with the two adults.

Finally Kisuke stopped before another set of sliding doors and turned to Naruto "She isn't expecting anyone, so please wait here"

He opened the doors and entered. Naruto stood there awkwardly for a moment before leaning against them, pressing his ear against the fabric.

He couldn't hear a thing, and several moments passed before the doors swopped open. Naruto, taken by surprise in losing his support, fell flat on his face.

He looked up, mumbling a barely heard owe before seeing that the inside was a simple room, its only furniture being a short legged table and a throne like chair. The chair itself was green with purple armrests. But it wasn't as much the chair as the person sitting on it which grabbed his attention.

She had to be one of the most beautiful creatures he had laid his eyes on since coming here, a young woman with short purple hair and golden, cat like eyes which even now starred at him curiously. Her skin was dark and toned, which seemed to give her a more exotic aura. She wore a black outfit similar to the guards he had seen outside, but it was sleeveless, and as he got a better look also backless with a white sash tied around her waist.

She looked at his form, crumpled on the floor and laughed "So this is the interesting person you met Kisuke?"

Urahara was sitting by the short legged table, holding a cup in both hands. Naruto jumped up to his feet, feeling his cheeks turn a shade of red at his embarrassing entrance. The woman stood and walked over to him, stopping only when they were a few feet apart, she then leaned forward, her golden eyes meeting his blue.

"Doesn't look like anything special to me" she muttered, before flashing a mischievous grin "Cute though"

Naruto found his face getting redder and tried to look at something else. Big mistake, he looked down to see that her sleeveless, backless suit was pretty skin tight, he could make out the curves of her…his face turned redder.

"Hey, boy"

"Yes" Naruto jumped, his eyes meeting hers only to see a grin of white teeth, there was something off about that smile, _Oh great_

She rushed past him, grabbing onto his hand as she passed and dragging him with her "Come with me"

Naruto groaned something incomprehensible before being tugged after her. The problem was she didn't turn to run down the hallway, instead she was running towards the banister. She hopped onto the railing, still holding onto his hand with a vicelike grip, and jumped.

"Are you crazy" he cried as he was dragged with her, and found himself falling three stories towards the ground.

Naruto closed his eyes, expecting to meet a very sticky end. When nothing happened, and his feet met solid ground he opened them again, to find himself standing in one of the courtyards he had seen when he was on the walkway.

Across from him was the woman, sitting in a crouch, observing him with mirth filled eyes "Fight me!"

It didn't sink in right away "What?"

"I've heard some interesting things about you from Kisuke" she said, taking a few casual steps towards him "So I want to see if what he tells me is true"

"Huh?"

She blinked, grinned and vanished.

Before Naruto knew it he felt a gust of wind behind him. He couldn't help it. He acted on instinct and raised his arm to block. The kick came from his left side, aimed for his face. He blocked it, but it hit him with such force that he was sent skidding several meters. He lost his balance, hit the ground and rolled backwards up to his feet again.

That woman was there, looking smug "Good perception, excellent reflex"

"What the hell was that for" Naruto yelled.

"I'm testing you" she stated, all signs of mirth gone "I want to see how strong you really are, Kisuke tells me you've got some special skills"

"Yeah, so everyone tells me" he shot back "So!?"

"I want to see them"

"Then you could have just asked!!!"

"What good will that do" she asked, that mischievous smile returning "The only way you get to know someone is through fighting them"

"You're nuts" he growled.

"So people tell me" she replied nonchalantly "But let me ask you this, who do you know best. Those you've fought with" she vanished from view again and Naruto heard her directly behind him "Or those you haven't"

Her next attack was so strong that it created an explosion of dirt and dust. Naruto flew from the cloud, landing hard and skidding to a stop. He tried to rise to his feet, coughing up a gob of blood. He staggered as he stood upright, but steadied himself.

She walked from the dust cloud like a demon from hell.

"Alright then" he growled "You want to see me in action. Then bring it on!"

"That's better" she stated.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_" (Shadow Clone Jutsu)

She watched in interest as several small explosions of white smoke appeared around him, and when it cleared there was not one, but five. She raised her eyebrows and grinned "Very impressive…are they illusions or solid?"

"Come at me and find out" they replied in unison.

"Suit yourself"

She vanished again, and the former Hokage didn't know where she was until one of his clones exploded in white smoke. She was right in the middle of his formation, her hands on the ground, supporting her limber frame as she split her legs out and spun. Two more clones were caught, fell and turned to white smoke. In barely a second she had taken out three of his four clones.

The fourth drew a kunai and threw it at her, only to see her jump back to her feet, grab it with her hand and throw it back, the clone dodged the knife, but he didn't dodge her. She was above him, her foot connecting with the top of his head, he vanished in a plume of smoke.

The former Hokage took the chance, drawing a handful of shuriken he threw them at her and began making hand signs "_Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu)!"_

Yoruichi watched with interest as the five flying Shuriken turned into twenty, she jumped back, spinning in midair, dodging them as they passed by her. Suddenly Naruto suddenly felt his control slip, but added extra concentration, five of the Shadow Shuriken exploded in white smoke.

_What the hell!?_

His opponent landed with the grace of a cat and pounced forward as such, hands crossed across her face, golden eyes shining with a predatory hue.

He built up his chakra and summoned another two clones, but one failed to form, and vanished, he growled in frustration and summoned it again. But by then the noblewoman had caught them, she jumped, legs spread and kicked his two clones, sending them to the ground and turning into white smoke.

She lashed out with a punch, which he blocked with his right palm, but it proved to be a feint. Her left leg slammed into his abdomen, forcing the air from his lungs and sending him skidding backwards. He cursed, should have seen that one coming. It was just that she was so fast that all of his movements seemed sluggish.

He jumped back and summoned another two clones. It was time to strike with his strongest Jutsu. He raised his palm and his two clones began to make signs over it, one to condense his chakra, the other to form his elemental energy. The woman didn't move to attack, she stood there watching.

A ball of energy appeared in his hands, the condensed chakra spinning, blade like protrusions formed around it, giving it the form of a giant shuriken, he smirked "_Futon;Rasenshuriken (Wind Style; Rasenshuriken)!"_

Suddenly his arm buckled, and Naruto flinched from the pain, it was almost like his Jutsu was about to go wild at any moment. He kept his composure and threw the projectile.

The Rasenshuriken flew through the air and struck the ground where she stood, an explosion of dust and debris followed and Naruto took a deep breath, followed by a smirk. It was over.

The smoke cleared, and Naruto could only watch in shock. She stood in a defensive stance, her arm extended. All that was left of the Wind Jutsu's passage was her hand, which was cut and bruised. No one was able to block that attack, it should have been impossible.

Naruto watched in horror "Who the hell is she"

"Yoruichi Shihoin"

He turned to the voice to see Kisuke appear on the edge of the courtyard, at least ten Ninja behind him and little Rangiku held in his arms, looking worriedly at him.

"22nd Head of the Shihoin Noble family, Commander of the Onmitsukido (Secret Mobile Corps) and Captain of the 2nd Shinigami division"

"What are you talking about" Naruto howled, feeling a headache.

"What he means is that out of all the Shinigami" she added playfully "I'm one…of…the…strongest"

She appeared beside him, her leg on a collision course with his head. It connected and he flew, only to vanish in another bloom of white smoke.

The real Naruto appeared at the other side of the courtyard, knowing that unless he used his strongest technique there wasn't a hope at beating her. No other choice, he had to use his newest Jutsu. He thanked Kakashi-sensei for helping him unlock his second element, before making the appropriate hand signs.

"_Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu)!"_

There were four small fountains surrounding the courtyard. The first thing that happened was that the water seemed to explode in unison. Like an ancient creature coming to the surface, then the exploding water took a shape, condensing into long necks with jaws on the end, pairs of red eyes appeared on each of them and a frill of horns formed on the ends of their heads. To all in attendance they really looked like dragons.

"Wow" Yoruichi said in awe, like a child who found her favorite toy "That is so cool"

Naruto was not so amazed. In fact he was concentrating a lot more than he usually did. He was having more trouble keeping the Jutsu going than he remembered. Just like his Shadow Clones and the Rasenshuriken before.

He didn't have time to think about that, using his hands he directed the dragons at Yoruichi and mentally ordered them to attack. Two of them charged right at her, one from ground level and the other from above. Naruto noticed that they were already starting to lose their form, and cursed under his breath.

_What the hell is happening to __me!?_

The two dragons came together in the centre of the court, slamming into the slabs in an explosion of water and shattered stone. The dragons lost their form and water cascaded down upon the yard, soaking everyone within proximity.

Naruto's mind was moving a mile a minute, hoping beyond a hope that he had connected with her.

"Did I get her?"

"No"

He jumped and turned, seeing Yoruichi floating several feet above him at an angle, her right arm outstretched, the hand shaped like a claw "As cool as that was a Kido that slow will never hurt me"

"Kido?"

"Now it's my turn" she grinned, a ball of red light appearing in the palm of her outstretched hand "_Hado Sanjuuichi; Shakkaho (Way of Destruction 31; Shot of Red Fire)!_"

The ball of red light blazed right towards him with incredible speed, landing at his feet and exploding in a mass of red flames, these flames kicked up a huge cloud of dust. Naruto flew backwards from the explosion, his hands crossed over his face, blackened and smoking from the attack.

He looked at the damage fearfully, that move was easily just as powerful as his Rasengan, and she did it so effortlessly. Was she toying with him all this time?

He heard her voice above him again, reciting another spell "_Bakudo Rokujuuichi; Rikujojoro (Way of Binding 61; Six Rods Prison of Light)!_"

Six thin beams of pure light appeared around Naruto, moving in with such speed that he had no hope of dodging. The rods slammed into his midsection, looking to all observing like the six petals of a flower. He spat out blood.

_Damn it!_

He couldn't move

_Damn it!_

Not one part of his body

_Damn it!_

Not his arms

_Damn it!_

Or his legs

_Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!_

She landed with incredible grace, almost like the whole fight had been as easy as breathing. She bent over to stare into his eyes "You're good kid, you've definitely got power in you, but let me tell you something" she leaned back, all trace of mirth gone from her feline gaze "Those Jutsu of yours will be useless"

"What are you talking about" he asked through gritted teeth, trying to struggle out of his bonds, all in vein.

"I'm well rehearsed in the ways of Ninja in the living world" she explained, sighing "And I know how you gain that power. It's through Chakra right, energy of the body? When you died you're energy should have been converted into Reiryoku, the energy of the soul. This happens to everyone who enters the Soul Society. But for some reason when you passed on your energy did not convert, at least not right away"

He remained quiet, oceanic eyes piercing through her. She shrugged it off and continued.

"But now you're energy is beginning to convert into Reiryoku. You should already know the effects"

"What effects!?" he growled.

"You're stronger Jutsu becoming harder to control for one" she answered casually, stretching her arms into the air "That water dragon attack and that wind shuriken was fierce, but I saw the look on your face, you were struggling. Then there's that cloning technique of yours, I have a feeling that you could have produced far more clones in the real world"

Her golden eyes did not leave his when she spoke the next sentence "You have another day or two before you're energy is completely converted, then you'll lose all your Jutsu"

Naruto was about to protest, he wanted to protest, but then he felt nauseous. He fell to his knees, his vision tunneling. The last thing he saw was the worried look on the Shinigami's face before he passed out.

* * *

**H****ere's the third chapter, more on Naruto's condition will be elaborated on with the next chapter. Anyway so far I'm pretty happy with my poll results, twenty two people have voted, thank you everyone.**

**Right, next up will be a small dictionary of honorifics and other Japanese words which will play a role in the story, first up will be honorifics:**

_**San - the most common honorific, and is a title of respect similar to Mr., Mrs. Etc.**_

_**Kun - a title used for people who are of junior status**_

_**Chan - a diminutive suffix, adding Chan to the persons name means that you find the person endearing, absolutely not to be used with a superior, its considered an insult**_

_**Senpai – a title used for those who are your seniors, or who have more experience than you in a subject**_

_**Sensei – a title used for a teacher, tutor or a person who is considered an authority figure**_

_**Taicho – the Japanese honorific for Captain**_

_**Sotaicho – Japanese Honorific for Captain-Commander**_

_**Sama – an upped version of San, used for people who are by far your senior, and also a person that you greatly admire**_

_**Dono – a title used for an important individual, it would be the Japanese term for Lord or Master**_

_**Hime – a title used for daughters of royalty, its English counterpart is princess**_

**These honorifics will be used a lot during this story, so it's a good idea to know what they all mean. ****When addressing or referring to someone by name in Japanese, an honorific suffix is usually used. Dropping the honorific implies a high degree of intimacy and is reserved for one's lover, younger family members, and very close friend.**


	4. Destiny Awaits

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Destiny Awaits**_

_Music_

_Nine Tail Demon Fox; Naruto OST, Oh So Tired; Bleach OST, Destiny Awaits; Bleach OST_

_-------_

_The corridors were as he remembered them, dank, dark and unsanitary. The brown walls were covered in miniscule cracks, water flowing from some of the bigger ones and pooling onto the worn broken tiled floor. There was no roof above him. Instead there was a mass of black cables, stretching for as far as the eye could see._

_Worst of all was that sound which still haunted his nightmares, a deep breathing which echoed through the corridors, bringing a chill up his spine._

_Naruto walked down the worn path, knowing exactly where he was going. Finally he entered a huge chamber, an empty chamber where the pooling water rose up to his ankles. Ahead of him was a massive hole, huge steel bars caste over the entrance. The gaps were big enough for him to squeeze through, but they weren't designed for him. The lock had a paper seal over it, the inscription of an ancient and powerful sealing Jutsu inscribed._

_Naruto walked forward, hands stuffed in the pockets of his orange suit "Hey you dirty old fluff ball, you in there!?"_

_There was a crash which shook the very foundations of this place. Something was behind the steel bars, something huge. Even with the darkness he could see the silhouette of an animal within._

_He jumped when he saw a pair of eyes open within the din._

_Red, feral eyes_

_The eyes of a monster_

_It grinned then, showing its pointed teeth which seemed to glow of their own accord in this dark place._

"_**Little fool"**_

_Naruto was roused by the sounds of scraping and snapping, it wasn't for a few fleeting moments that he realised that they were coming from the steel bars. Cracks started to appear along the steel, small at first, but they got bigger; some of the barrier was already crumbling away, as if it were turning to sand._

_Suddenly terrified he looked to the seal, only to see it vanish in a blaze of black fire. The central pillars crumbled completely away, leaving nothing between the Host and the beast._

_Laughter burbled from the darkness._

"_No" Naruto whimpered, taking a step back._

"_**Yes!"**_

_A massive claw and sinewy, yet masculine arm of red fur flew out of the gap in the barrier, aimed for him. It moved at such an impossible speed that he had no time to dodge. _

_The claw caught him and squeezed._

_Naruto opened his mouth to scream._

He shot up in bed, his breathing shallow and ragged. His bedding and clothing covered in sweat. He looked around to see that he had been sleeping inside a hospital room. White walls, lack of any furniture other from his bed, a bedside table and a couple of steel fold up chairs. An open window stood at the far wall.

He could feel the gentle breeze. The light rays of the sun. He could hear the chirping calls of morning birds. It relaxed him, soothing his residual fear of the monster that had plagued him for all of his natural life. He knew that the Kyuubi was gone now. He was torn from Naruto's body when he passed on.

Still as much as he hated to admit it, he had grown used to the fox's company. As much as he hated to admit it, the fox was a good source of him relieving his anger, when something happened he would always mentally blame the fox. The fur ball was the perfect scapegoat.

He fell back in bed, examining the walls, the open archway, the window.

_Why did hospital rooms have to be so bland and boring? Why couldn't they be painted a happier colour, orange for instance? Maybe even blue?_

He groaned in annoyance at his predicament, silently cursing that woman. What was her name? Oh yeah. Yoruichi Shihoin. Anyway, he was cursing this woman's very existence for beating him up to the point where he woke up in a hospital.

_A hospital, in the afterlife…go figure._

He heard the feint sound of footfalls, and turned his attention to the open archway leading to an equally bland corridor. _Oh the irony._ Then someone came through, a young woman dressed in a nurse's uniform. A pink nurses uniform, with a miniskirt.

She entered the room, but was so engrossed with whatever was written on her clipboard that she didn't even notice the boy starring at her. The supposedly comatose boy brought in by that stark raving mad Captain of 2nd Division and her carefree 3rd Seat.

"Excuse me"

She looked up, and dropped the clipboard, her cute little mouth slightly agape.

Naruto laughed nervously at her expression, and then looked on dubiously as she fled the room like she had seen a ghost or something. Naruto fell back into his bed with a sigh.

It was five minutes later when someone else entered the room. Naruto squinted open an eye to see his next visitor.

It was a woman, with a black Shinigami uniform and a sheathed katana at her hip, the difference between Urahara and her was that over her robes she wore a white jacket, with long baggy sleeves (Haori). She was beautiful too, in a more mature sense. Her face was kind, her blue eyes soft and her long black hair was tied by ribbons into a braid at her front.

She looked down at the fallen clipboard, sighed and bent over to pick it up. She noticed him and smiled, a smile so warm and friendly that Naruto couldn't help but return it.

"Good morning" she greeted, her voice soft and motherly "Good to see you're finally awake"

Something got her attention, she looked down and that smile returned "It's alright" she soothed "He's awake now"

Naruto didn't even notice Rangiku gripping onto the woman's long haori. She looked up at him and ran to his side. Practically jumping onto the bed and giving him a hug "Naruto nii-chan, I thought you'd…" she didn't finish her sentence, her little form racked with sobs.

"Hey, hey" he consoled, rubbing the crying girls back "I'm alright, see, never better" he tried to prove it by flexing his arms, only to flinch as a sudden pain struck him. The Shinigami…doctor looked at him worriedly.

"Try not to move much" she explained "You took quite a beating"

Naruto remembered, it all came running back to him "I would have had a better chance" he scowled, looking at his bandaged hands "But my Jutsu started to fail on me"

She raised an eyebrow "Jutsu…ah, chakra, the energy of the body"

"That's right" Naruto replied before studying her "Onee-san, who are you?"

She chuckled at his bluntness "My apologies, I didn't introduce myself" she cleared her throat subtly, then spoke "Unohana Retsu, Captain of the 4th Shinigami Division, medical and relief squad"

_Another captain _Naruto thought "How long have I been here for?"

"Hmm, lets see" she seemed to think for a moment "About five days now"

"Five days" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Yes" she replied "Or to be more precise four days, sixteen hours"

"That damn woman" Naruto growled "When I see her again I'll-"

"You'll what?"

He recognised the voice, gulped and turned to the window. There, like a cat sitting on a branch of a tree was Yoruichi, smiling mischievously at him. Naruto starred at her, both in surprise and panic. He wasn't ready to face _her_ again. He edged away, not noticing that he was nearing the edge of the bed, and promptly fell off with a yelp.

"Yoruichi-Taicho" Unahana chastised with a heavy sigh "Do not scare the patient"

"I didn't do anything" she said innocently, the grin gave her away though.

Naruto looked up at the ceiling, little Rangiku's head popping into his vision overhead, looking at him with a curious expression "Naruto nii-chan" she asked "Why are you just lying there"

"Because my spine has turned into mush" he replied blandly.

She tilted her head in curiosity, Unohana sighed and Yoruichi laughed so hard that she fell off her perch on the window, landing on the floor.

------

Naruto looked at his burned hands "My Jutsu is gone"

Yoruichi nodded "It is, in all honesty it should've faded away when you entered our world. Something powerful must have been binded to you for such effects to last so long"

"Yeah" Naruto murmured "He was powerful"

Both Captains looked at each other, confused before turning back to Naruto "He?"

The boy nodded, his face sad and his eyes hollow "He" he repeated "Have you ever heard of the Biju?"

"The nine Biju, the tailed demons" Unohana nodded "They were the strongest demons of the living world, but they were all defeated and their essences placed in the bodies of normal humans so that they could be controlled, they were…um"

"The Jinchuriki"

"Yes, that was the names of the hosts"

"I was the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine tailed demon fox" Naruto explained.

"Yes" Retsu said in understanding "That would explain you're living powers remaining after death, the power of the Kyuubi was by far the more superior of its eight siblings" she suddenly realised what Naruto meant, and she walked over and placed a caring hand on his shoulder "You poor boy" she spoke the words like a mother who's child had been hurt.

"What" Yoruichi asked, pouting at being left out "What's wrong?"

"Jinchuriki, the humans selected as hosts for the Biju are seen with fear and hatred in the living world" Unohana explained sadly "Even though they are victims, like those the demons kill. Even though their own lives were sacrificed to contain the creatures they are considered outcasts. Most are simply seen as the beasts given human form, when it's the furthest thing from the truth"

The Shihoin shook her head "Unbelievable"

"It is" the healer agreed "You're Jutsu is gone, and with it you're ties to the Kyuubi" she took a step back "Go ahead and try"

Naruto sighed, made the appropriate hand signs and spoke the incantation "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_"

Nothing happened

Naruto sighed again "Guess you were right Yoruichi. Looks like I'm not so interesting anymore"

The Captains feline eyes seemed to twinkle "I'm not so sure about that"

"What?"

"You're chakra may have been converted into Reiryoku, but it is now more potent than it was before" she smirked "Go on, gather the energy in the palm of your hand, you're ninja training should be sufficient"

Naruto looked at his hand, concentrated his Reiryoku and watched in shock as a large ball a half meter in diameter appeared above his hand, a ball of swirling pure blue energy.

Naruto gapped.

Yoruichi smirked.

"I knew it" she said excitedly "You have incredibly high Rietsu!"

"Rietsu?"

"Its spiritual pressure" she explained offhandedly "It's the physical form of Reiryoku"

"Hmm" Unohana hummed, closing her eyes and breathing in the static laden air "It is strong Rietsu, kind yet unyielding"

Naruto was so engrossed in his little rietsu ball that he didn't notice the small black butterfly use the morning currents to flutter through the window. Unohana and Yoruichi noticed right away. The healer held out her right hand, allowing the small insect to land on her middle and index fingers.

She concentrated on it, not reacting as the Hell Butterfly relayed its message to her telepathically "Oh my"

Her words caused Naruto to break his concentration, the spiritual energy ball vanishing from his palm, he looked at her curiously "What is it Onee-san?"

"It seems that you have been summoned" she told him, letting the small insect flutter away "By the Head Captain"

"Wow, the old man knows about him already?" Yoruichi asked.

"Who is this Head Captain" Naruto asked, confused.

"The Head Captain, or to be more precise Sotaicho (Captain-Commander), is the leader of the entirety of the Goteijūsantai (Gotei 13), the thirteen Shinigami Division Imperial Guards. He is considered the oldest and most powerful of all within the Soul Society"

"Wow" Naruto said in awe "So being summoned by this guy is a big deal"

Unohana smiled a little "Yes, a very big deal"

"Well" Yoruichi stated, stretching her arms in front of her "I guess that means that I have to escort him there" she added that grin which was fast becoming her trademark, and Naruto paled.

"I will take him" Retsu said calmly, yet sternly "As senior captain it is my responsibility. Besides, I think you have tortured this poor boy enough"

Yoruichi shrugged, turned and was about to leave, jumping onto the window "Fine, fine" she said before jumping.

Unohana sighed before yelling after her "Doors are here for a reason!"

------

Naruto gapped at the huge double doors of solid wood which stood between him and the man he had come to meet. The doors were huge and thick, with two high ranking Shinigami acting as guards. Unohana had explained to him that every Shinigami he saw here was of the 1st Division, the unit which the _Sotaicho_ himself led.

On his way to this place the young man had noticed that he was no longer anywhere near the Shihoin residence, in fact he was within a place called the Seireitei (Court of Pure Souls), the centre of the Soul Society and the area that the Nobility and the Shinigami themselves called home.

The architecture of the courtyards, the houses, everything was different. By far more lavish and beautiful than the slums he had seen previously. The walls of the structures were made of white stone, called Sekkiseki, a type of material which emitted properties which shielded this area from the rest of the world. The roofs of most of the structures, including the walls and houses were made of some reddish orange tile.

But what had interested the former Hokage the most was the massive structure that lay before him, it was essentially a huge tower made of Sekkiseki rock, with its own battlements and walls, a castle within a castle. The architecture of this structure seemed specially designed for defense with a couple of octagon platforms, each seemingly a few stories tall, and each higher one smaller than the one below, standing prominently on these was a mass of white towers, great and small with the largest easily twice the size of its second.

Beside this structure, called the _Senzaikyo (Shrine of Repentance)_ by Unahana Onee-san, was a huge rocky mesa located right next to the tower, with shear cliffs on all sides, the top was flat and Naruto could just make out a huge stand and tall spear like structure at the top, Unohana called it Sokyoku Hill.

And now here he was waiting outside these ridiculously massive oak doors for one of the most powerful men of all of Soul Society to invite him in. He looked down at his feet, and realized that he could feel the power of this being in the room ahead of him. His power was so great that it was almost palpable. Making even Pein's seem like a shadow in comparison.

He felt a slender hand give his shoulder an encouraging squeeze and turned his head to see the kind hearted Captain of 4th Division, looking at him knowingly "Its alright" she soothed "He has this affect on everybody the first time"

"Any advice"

She seemed to think "Don't lie, he hates liars"

She probably meant well, she really did. It was just by the look on her face that made Naruto gulp, he had a feeling the last person who lied to this guy wasn't around anymore.

"Not the type to beat around the bush" he asked jokingly, laughing nervously as the door opened with an incredible creek.

"He'd burn the bush and walk through the ashes"

Naruto wouldn't learn until much later that what Retsu told him was no joke.

She then ushered him through the doors and waved goodbye as they slowly closed again. Within was a huge meeting hallway, the walls colored a dark red with beams of wood decorated in squares etched into the walls. The floor was a polished wood, and up ahead was a grandly decorated chair, sitting on a platform of a step at the other end of the hall.

However the room was not what had his attention, it was what was sitting on the chair.

Starring across the room at him was a man, who looked well on in his years, he might have looked frail, but Naruto knew better. He could see millennia of wisdom in those dark eyes, wisdom which reminded Naruto of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage. He could also feel an immense power emanating through the room, almost articulately controlled.

The old man looked up and spoke, his voice radiating power and the wisdom Naruto saw in his eyes "Step forward, let's get a look at you"

Naruto gulped silently and took a step forward. He continued walking until he was within ten paces of the Head Captain. The old man calmly looked him over, as if gauging his strength "So Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki, we meet at last"

Naruto was surprised that this man knew his name, even more surprised when he added the last name of the Fourth Hokage, his own father "How do you know my name?"

"I know a great many things" the old man stated, holding onto a bulky walking stick and rising to his feet "I know that you are the son of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. I know that you are the Seventh Hokage of your home village, and I know that in life you were the host to the Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox"

Naruto felt nervous at the name of that monster being mentioned. The old man didn't speak it with any malice. He just spoke the words as if they meant little "That was another life" he went on, taking another few steps, bringing the distance between them to five paces "But a life which will have great effect on this one, for although the Demon is gone you have inherited its strength"

"What do you mean _inherited_" Naruto asked nervously.

Yamamoto's eyes opened a little "In death the powers of the Kyuubi were transferred to you. It was the reason why you were able to use Jutsu for so long. But out of all the Jinchuriki you are an anomaly"

"How so"

"Out of all the Jinchuriki you are the only one who has come to the Soul Society" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at the statement "Because of their containment the Biju hated society, and in death they cursed the living world so much that it consumed their hosts, and they became Hollows" He looked at the horrified look on Naruto's face, paused, then continued "But for some reason you were not overtaken by the anger of your Biju, and you were able to cross over to the Soul Society"

"I…see" Naruto hesitated, looking down sorrowfully at the ground.

"As you know you have passed on" Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto said "And there is no going back. However you have an opportunity, unlike most of the inhabitants of the Soul Society you have abnormally strong Reiryoku. This means that you have the ability to become a Shinigami"

"Me" Naruto asked in shock "A Shinigami?"

"Now Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki, you have a choice" the old man offered "Become a Shinigami of the _Goteijūsantai_ or live out the rest of your new life peacefully in the Soul Society. It is your decision, you will not be forced"

Naruto only needed a split second to think, live out his spiritual existence quietly here, or become a warrior of the afterlife. The decision was simple "Yes"

"Yes what" the old captain asked, tilting his bald, deeply scarred head.

"I will take you up on your offer" Naruto said with a toothy grin.

"Excellent, now I will explain to you the history of the Soul Society, as well as its hierarchy and military structure"

Twelve hours, twelve bloody hours, for twelve hours he sat on a hard wooden floor, in a room with no windows or any sort of entertainment other than the old man and his god damned sagely voice. A few times he was about to nod off, only to be bludgeoned back to reality when the old man slammed his staff onto the floor.

However Naruto had been paying attention to some of the more important subjects of the old mans introduction, more specifically the hierarchy and military structure of the Soul Society.

The entire Soul Society was ruled by the Spirit King, who lived in a separate dimension, he rarely if ever appeared on this lower plain, and so left the governing of the Soul Society to the noble families, the Goteijusantai and the Central 46.

The Noble families were a prestigious group of aristocrats who controlled the day to day activities of the Soul Society. There were roughly a dozen houses, but out of these four were considered the big dogs. None of the lower houses could make any serious changes without the backing of these four families, the two most prestigious being the Kuchiki, and to Naruto's horror the Shihoin.

Next was the military force, of which there were three main branches.

The first and biggest was, obviously the _Goteijūsantai_, made up of thirteen Imperial Court Guard Divisions, each numbering roughly between three hundred and five hundred elite Shinigami. Each division was commanded by a Captain, a Vice-Captain and seated officers, with overall command coming from the Captain-Commander.

The second branch was the _Onmitsukidō _(Secret Mobile Corps). Information on their specialties was classified, but Naruto guessed that they were a specialized assassination and covert ops force, similar to the ANBU ninja of Konoha. He also learned to his chagrin that the 2nd Division was tied to this special force, and Yoruichi was the commanding officer of not just the 2nd Division, but also of the Omnitsukido as well.

Finally there was the _Kidoshu _(Kido Corps). A secretive branch of the military which, as its name described excelled in the art of Kido. Little was known about its activities or the contingent of its members, it was said that even the Captain and seated officers were rarely seen.

While the nobles were considered the government and the Shinigami were the military, the Central 46 was the judiciary of the Soul Society. They answered to no one except the Royal Family and the Spirit King himself. When they made a decision it was final and irrefutable, it could not be reversed. Naruto thought of this as a good idea, a safeguard to make sure that the Noble houses or the Shinigami didn't overstep their boundaries.

Finally he heard of an unofficial fourth branch to the Shinigami, the Royal Guard. A unit of Captain-class Shinigami who watched over and protected the Royal Family, this unit was obviously the super elite, soldiers unparalleled and unrivalled on the field of combat. He saw how strong Yoruichi was, she defeated him without needing to draw her sword, a division of soldiers of her level was scary.

"Now Naruto-kun" Yamamoto finished "Are you ready to begin?"

"You bet I am"

"Excellent, now I will send you to the Spirit Arts Academy"

It took a few moments for Naruto to respond "The what?"

"The Shinigami Academy"

"That means school, right?"

"Yes"

_God, why do you hate me!!!?_

* * *

**A few other honorifics that I left out the first time, most of these would be added onto family members. These titles are usually used with general honorifics at the end, like San, Kun, Chan and Sama**

_**Nii – Brother**_

_**Nee – Sister**_

_**Onii – Big Brother**_

_**Onee – Big Sister**_

_**Otouto – Little Brother**_

_**Ane – Little Sister**_

_**Otou – Father**_

_**Okaa – Mother**_

_**Ojii – Grandfather**_

_**Obaa – Grandmother**_

_**Anyway hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and the next chapter should be up before next Friday. See you then! :)**_


	5. Halcyon Days

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Halcyon Days**_

_Music_

_Confrontment; Naruto OST, Head in the Clouds; Bleach OST, Survival Examination; Naruto OST_

Once his meeting was over he was presented with his school uniform, a white male hakama with blue pants, all of his text books and a training sword. He looked incredulously at Unohana at this, only for her to smile and tell him that a trainee Shinigami didn't receive a Zanpakuto until graduation.

He was then shepherded back to the 4th Division barracks where it was originally intended that he stay the night, as his quarters at the Academy dormitory was not yet ready. However Yoruichi was waiting for him, and she offered for him to stay in her Seireitei residence. Something which Naruto accepted, thinking she was trying to apologise for putting him through the ringer.

It was also decided that the child he was with, Rangiku Matsumoto would remain in the Shihoin residence until she was old enough to decide whether she wanted to become a Shinigami herself or not. This meant that once the academy started up they wouldn't be able to see each other, but Naruto was happy that she was safe.

He spent most of the rest of the day and night studying the Shinigami academy's layout, as well as reading the handout he had received from Unohana Nee-san. He paled at what he saw, there was an examination on the first day to set the classes into higher and lower tiers, he groaned, he never did well in written examinations, never!

He looked out the window of one of the waiting classrooms, noticing from his reflection that he had deep set bags under his eyes. He didn't sleep a wink last night. He yawned tiredly before catching himself. He had been the object of scrutiny since he entered the classroom. Everyone here seemed to know each other. Almost all were members of noble or Shinigami families, snobby brats the lot of them. Some looked at him and whispered, but he could hear them.

"Did you hear" a girl muttered "This boy is from the slums"

"Yeah the Howling Dog district" another girl said, shivering "It's said that only murderers and thieves live there"

"I wonder if he ever killed anyone"

"Why don't you go and ask him?"

"No way" she laughed.

"I hear that the Shihoin clan is backing him though" a new voice, this one male spoke up.

"What would a powerful family like the Shihoin want with a slum dog?"

"A pet"

More laughter

Laughter which abruptly halted as Naruto rose from his seat. He gave them a withering look before walking out of the classroom to the hallway. His departure was met with nervous stares. He chuckled sadly, even without the fox he was an outcast. He had to admit that at that moment he felt pretty lonely, and unconsciously remembered his days at the Ninja academy in Konoha.

He used to hang out with Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba back then. They were always the class clowns, always getting into trouble with Iruka-sensei. All came from Ninja families, although Naruto didn't know his ancestry back then, he didn't know until he was in his late teens. Shikimaru, the slacker, was from the Nara clan, a clan specialising in shadow Jutsu. Chouji was from the Akimichi clan, a family known for being able to use they're own calories and body fat to fight. Finally there was Kiba from the Inuzuka, who were renowned for their abilities to form battle relationships with dogs.

Then there were his own teammates when he became a Genin. Sakura, his childhood crush, Sasuke whom he considered his greatest rival, and Kakashi-sensei, who he looked up to as both a friend and a mentor. He remembered the times they shared and smiled at the memory, a smile which soon turned into a scowl. Sasuke had betrayed them, turned against the village, and Naruto didn't realise until much later, after the death of the woman he loved that the Sasuke Uchiha he knew was dead.

The woman he loved. He never thought he would say that about Hinata Hyuga. A shy girl from the powerful Hyuga clan, when he first met her he thought that she was shy, and weird. But he realised his feelings for her when the Akatsuki leader, Pein, attacked their village, and she jumped in to try and save him, nearly dying in the process.

She had told him her feelings then, when she was starring down one of the most powerful Ninja in history. But after the battle was over he didn't see her until much later, and he returned her feelings. He touched his lips, remembering the surprise kiss he stole from her, and nearly laughed when he remembered her feinting.

_Look at me _he thought sadly, leaning against a banister and looking out one of the corridor windows _I'm standing here reminiscing like an old man_

He suddenly made a sour face _God help me, I'm starting to act like Shikamaru, before you know it I'll be looking at clouds and adding the words 'Such a drag' to the end of my sentences_

This time he couldn't help but laugh

------

"Ahh" a male, bored sounding voice growled "These uniforms are such a drag"

"Stop, I don't want to hear it" a female voice replied "Quite complaining and move it!"

"Easy for you to say" the male shot back nonchalantly "You're probably used to wearing these dresses by now"

"They're not dresses" another female added calmly "They're hakama"

"Yeah whatever"

The three of them were walking down the corridors, ignoring the questioning stares they got from other students. Two were wearing the female attire of the academy, a white kimono with a red skirt. The male was wearing the male version, a white one with a blue pair of pants. All three were holding an armful of books.

Most of the stares they were getting were drooling gazes from the male students and slightly jealous glances from the females. The two women of this little group were beautiful.

One was tall and slim, with long blonde hair tied into four ponytails on the back of her head. She carried herself with an air of confidence, showing off her unblemished pale skin. The other was slightly shorter, with shoulder length messy pink hair, her fringe tied back with a crimson bow, showing her forehead, like her friend she was slim and fit, and her exotic green eyes and pale skin also gained a lot of attention, she seemed to carry herself nervously.

The male was an incredibly bored looking individual with dark eyes and black hair tied in a ponytail. He seemed to stoop as he walked, one hand stuck in a pocket while the other was haphazardly carrying his books. He looked like he wouldn't care if the mass of paper in his hand spontaneously combusted.

"And to top it off we got a written exam" the male sighed "What a drag, I'll just sleep through it"

"No you won't" the blonde female yelled "You will go into this examination and get great marks, like we will"

"Yeah, yeah" he moaned "Unlike you two I'm not much of a teachers pet"

Both gave him murderous stares at this, to which he quickened his pace. They rounded the corner, the blonde girl pulling out a piece of paper and looking at the directions it contained. She frowned, a frown which did not go unnoticed by the other two.

The male grinned "Look's like I won't have to worry about this exam after all"

The other girl peered over the taller girls shoulder, she groaned "Don't tell me we're lost again, this is the third time"

"We're not lost" the blonde snapped "I never get lost!"

"Until now" the male intoned with a smile.

"Shove it"

As the two were verbally jousting the pink haired girl grabbed the scrap of paper off her blonde friend and looked at it, a few moments was all she needed "Second corridor to our left, fifth classroom on the right"

She started leading the way down the corridor, her two friends following her, the male smirked "At least someone knows where we're going"

In response the blonde smacked him on the back of the head, followed by a very audible Ouch. The girl rounded the corner, and stopped, not noticing her two friends bump into her and look at her questionably.

"Sakura" the blonde asked "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, just starred ahead like she had seen a ghost. The two followed her gaze. A familiar boy was standing in the corridor, looking longingly out the window. They recognised him. The messy dark blonde hair, the oceanic blue eyes, the fox like whisker markings on his visible cheek. There was no mistaking it.

Sakura Haruno felt tears of joy well up and whispered the name of a boy she thought she'd never see again "Naruto"

------

Naruto subconsciously heard his name being called and turned to look up the corridor. Running towards him was a girl with shoulder length pink hair, her emerald eyes spilling over with tears. He looked at her like he had seen a ghost, a very welcome ghost from his past.

"Sakura-chan"

He was enveloped in a tight hug before he knew it, Sakura was shaking from sobs, softly hitting his chest with her fist "We looked everywhere for you Naruto" she cried into his hakama, leaving wet patches with her tears "We thought we'd never see you again!"

He smiled, feeling tears of his own trickle down his cheeks and enveloped her in a hug "Sakura-chan, is it you? Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me idiot" she laughed as she pulled back, reaching up to wipe away tears from her eyes. Two other figures flanked her, and Naruto looked up to see two more faces he thought he would never see again.

"Shikamaru? Temari?"

Temari was also crying, even though she was trying so hard not too. She moved forward, enveloped him in a hug and kissed him softly on the cheek. A hug which this time he was ready for, the kiss was unexpected though, and a bit of colour flowed into his face "We thought we'd never see you again Naruto-kun" she said, her voice not breaking as bad as Sakura's was "Glad we were wrong"

Then Shikamaru took a step forward, the two old friends smirked.

"Yo" he greeted.

"Yo" Naruto returned.

They spent most of their free time up to the examination not studying like some of the other students but talking. Naruto told them of how he ended up in the outer ring of the Soul Society, and had spent the better part of a year trying to make it to civilisation. He spoke of some of the hardships he had endured, how he met and saved a little girl, was then saved by Urahara-Senpai and finally his fight with Yoruichi Shihoin.

"You met the Captain of the 2nd Division" Temari asked, her eyebrow rose disbelievingly.

"Yep" Naruto replied.

"What was she like?"

"Flirtatious, childish, shameless" he listed off, biting back a laugh at the looks on their faces "But I got to hand it to her, she is very perceptive…and she has one hell of a kick"

"You fought her!?" Sakura gawked.

"Yep" he answered "Only lasted a few minutes too"

"Then you must hold the record" Shikamaru said "I've heard that no one has beaten her in hand to hand combat, she rarely even draws her Zanpakuto"

"What do you expect from the Seventh Hokage" Sakura laughed.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you guys" Naruto said, serious "Is there anyone else?"

They were all quiet then, and he knew that the responses weren't going to be good. Finally after nearly an eternity of silence Shikamaru answered him "We were all on our own at first, it was only blind luck that I ran into these two"

"We searched for as long as we could" Sakura added, her face falling "But no matter how far we went we couldn't find anyone"

Naruto expected as much, he had been travelling on his own for a year himself before he was found by Urahara-Senpai, and in all his travels he never found anyone he knew from his past life. Every face was a stranger.

"I figured as much" Naruto said after a moment "I couldn't find anyone either, searched all over the outer ring and the most dangerous districts"

"You talk like we may never see anyone again" Temari said, determination set in her gaze "But I will never give up, not until I find my brothers"

He couldn't bring himself to tell her what he had learned from the old man, that all of the Jinchuriki except him had been overpowered by their sealed beasts and became Hollows. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her. Instead he gave her a smile "Yeah, I won't ever quit looking either"

"That goes for me too" Sakura spoke up

"It's a promise then" Shikamaru spoke up with a smirk and a nod.

"Yeah, it's a promise"

It was then that one of the Shinigami entered the classroom, and all in attendance quietened down immediately with his presence. He stood in front of the class, cleared his throat and spoke "If you will all follow me, we will begin the examination"

Both Shikamaru and Naruto groaned at the thought.

------

Naruto had been worrying about this exam ever since he got wind of it. In fact he was so worried about this exam that he went to Urahara-Senpai for advice. The 3rd Seated Officer was already up, so it hadn't been a problem. He still remembered the smirk the man had when he told him.

"_Oh don't worry Naruto-Kun. Sure there is a written examination, but that only counts for a quarter of the marks, you will enjoy the other three"_

It turned out that he did. The written examination was a tedious, two hour long hell. It seemed to have questions on his worst school subjects. The only consolation to him was that half of them were to do with the military, hierarchy and history of the Soul Society, and he was actually thankful for the old mans boring twelve hour lecture, even though he had fazed out during half of it.

He was still positive he failed though. An aspect shared by Shikamaru, who dozed off five minutes in, woke up with five minutes left on the clock, and proceeded to go with his gut instinct, for the entire exam.

The next three exams were not written papers. He found to his delight and Sakura's disgust that they were practical assignments. The second was a fighting tournament to see the hand to hand combat skills of all the students. As expected with his Ninja training he creamed the opposition, making anyone who faced him look like a child wielding a rubber mallet.

Next was swordsmanship, a tournament which Naruto failed spectacularly. Well he believed that, but in reality making it to the semi final with a training Zanpakuto was really impressive to the examiners. The only reason he didn't make it to the final was because while executing a backward somersault he landed on the edge of the platform, lost his footing and fell on his ass.

Finally was an examination on Kido, despite his lack of use of the spells he found that he had a natural talent, able to use almost all of the Kido on the examination bar one; _Hado Sanjuuichi; Shakkaho_, which ended up backfiring, blowing up in his face.

Sakura and Temari passed this one without a hitch, but if anything Shikamaru faired worse than he did. While in the middle of performing a Binding spell he was somehow able to bind himself, and was carted off to the infirmary yelling "This is such a drag!!!"

Naruto didn't remember much after that moment, except that he fell onto the floor, laughing so much that his sides hurt.

-------

The examiners were quick to mark the results and post the class lists on the main notice board. Temari and Sakura, positive that they had passed everything with flying colors ran over to the list set for the Higher Tier class. Naruto and Shikamaru, sure that they had failed miserably shuffled over to the Lower Tier listings.

The area of the notice board holding the higher tier was surrounded by a mob of students, all pushing and shoving to try and get a good look and see who had made the grade.

The two boys looked over at the mob, saw Sakura throw several students out of the way like they were ragdolls and were glad they weren't in the crowd. They settled down and looked over the register, but after five minutes of searching they found that they're names weren't on it.

Understandably, Naruto panicked "No way…I couldn't have done that bad, I know I failed the written exam, and made a fool of myself in swordsmanship, and blew myself up, but I was sure that I at least made twenty percent!!!"

"Ah man" the Nara muttered, ignoring his friends mad ravings "I'm not going to get my ramen discount now. This is such a drag"

"Ramen" Naruto exclaimed, clawing at the Nara's hakama in panic, he actually looked like a puppy trying to scale a tree "We could've failed the entire exam, be barred from this place forever and you're worried about a discount on Ramen!!?"

Meanwhile Ino and Sakura were looking over the Higher Tier billboard, smiles on their faces when they saw their names.

"Wow Sakura you got eighty five percent" Temari exclaimed with a groan "Fifth place in the whole year"

"You didn't do too badly either" Sakura replied, pointing to her friend's name "Seventy six percent"

"Wait a second" the blonde muttered, reading over a section of the board, a smirk growing on her face at what she was seeing "You're not going to believe this"

Sakura shuffled over, carefully funneling past several other students before she was standing at her friends side, she looked over the names she was pointing too and shook her head in bemusement "Will wonders ever cease"

There, sitting near the end of the class list were two names, each making it over the sixty percentile needed to get into the Higher Tier, Shikamaru Nara with sixty eight percent, and Naruto Uzumaki with seventy percent. Both girls shared a look before calling over to the two in question.

------

Naruto yawned subconsciously before looking through his daily timetable for the umpteenth time, it was all he could do not to stand up and curse at the drab old lecturer at the front of the tiered classroom who was taking far too long with his opening speech. It was so bad that Shikamaru was sound asleep beside him, and the former Hokage knew by the snoring that he was eventually going to get caught.

All he needed to say was congratulations on making it to the top class, but remind them that they still had a lot of hard work ahead of them. A minute speech, two at the most, it had dragged on for nearly a half hour now. The old fart had congratulated them, and then told them that the hard work started here…then he began reiterating a quick summary on the prestigious history of the academy and listing off some of the great men and women who had graduated, and their achievements.

This guy made Yamamoto-Ojiisan look like a master storyteller, and Naruto should know. He was stuck with him for twelve hours.

_If this goes on for twelve hours I will kill_

Yawning again he looked over his timetable, making sure that he would remember the classes he would have to take this year.

Block 1: Kido – The Basic Art

Block 2: Hakuda – Year 1 Hand-to-Hand

Block 3: Zanjutsu – Year 1 Swordsmanship

Block 4: History – Formation of Soul Society

Block 5: Hollow Cleansing – Know thy Enemy

As well as this there was a small cluster of pages attached, at first Naruto thought that it was further information, and at first it was. The booklet explained of practical exams and field trips to the real world to learn more about the duties of Shinigami and the layout of the living.

It all sounded pretty standard, then he read the last page and found to his surprise that it was a waver that needed signing in order for a student to go on these field trips. It wasn't the waver that caught his eye. It was how it was written that worried him, considerably.

"_The Shinigami will not take responsibility for the loss of any property in the living world. This includes the loss of books, weapons, limbs or a premature end"_

_Holy…fuck_

"You droopy eyed clown!!!"

Naruto nearly jumped out of his chair when he heard the teachers aggravated voice and looked up in time to see a book soar past him by millimetres and collide with Shikamaru's forehead. His head snapped back, and opening his eyes the lazy bastard looked over at the old man, who was now smiling venomously.

"Congratulations" he said "You are officially on my death list!"

The Nara, still reeling and with a bump on his forehead looked down "Huh?"

Naruto couldn't help himself, he laughed only to be caught by the shrewd gaze of the lecturer "And you Blondie, welcome to hell, you are the second person on my death list!"

"Wha-!" Naruto started in disbelief "What the hell did I do!!"

Beside him Sakura and Temari had their heads in their hands.

"Were they like this in your academy?" the blonde asked.

"You have no idea" Sakura replied.

* * *

**Well here's the next chapter, just as promised. Sorry for the delay, this is the third rewrite. I originally planned to have Ino as one of the four, but when I thought ahead I realized that I wouldn't have had much use for her in the story, now Temari on the other hand :)**

**On another, completely unrelated note I bought this new game, Tales of Vesperia and I have never enjoyed an RPG like this since the last Final Fantasy, in my opinion it is really good fun to play. The animation, the story, the characters, all awesome and probably one of the best animated games I have ever seen. In fact playing it has gotten in the way of my writing lol. **


	6. Final Examination

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Final Examination**_

_Music_

_Battle Ignition; Bleach OST, On the Precipice of Defeat; Bleach OST_

**3 Years Later**

A swing of his sword didn't seem like much of a problem to Naruto. He had blocked, parried and countered that simple offensive technique hundreds of times in Zanjutsu training from both students and lecturers.

The difference this time was that his sparring partner was not a fellow student, or one of his swordsmanship lecturers at the academy. His opponent was the 3rd Seated Officer of 2nd Company, Commander of the Detention Squad of the Onmitsukidō and generally one of the deadliest Shinigami Naruto knew. His opponent was Kisuke Urahara.

When Naruto raised his Zanpakuto to block Kisuke's swing the power behind it sent him skidding back a few centimeters. He felt everything in the second it took, the quiet squeal of his sword, the grinding of his teeth, the strain on his arms, everything.

He lasted for another three strikes before one hit with such momentum made him lose grip of his katana. The sword went spinning into the air, stabbing into the tiled floor of the Shihoin mansions interior training grounds.

In any normal spar this match would have ended, but Naruto knew better. He dived to his right, missing a downward swing from his opponents Zanpakuto, the sword cut into the tile where he once stood, slicing through it with scary ease. Within a steady breath Naruto rolled across the floor, grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto, pulled it from the ground and fell into a basic defensive stance.

"My, my" Kisuke chided as he pulled his sword from the floor "You lasted three minutes twenty six seconds that time…you have improved"

Naruto didn't feel any sense of pride for the compliment, his breath was coming in gasps, his muscles ached, and he was covered in sweat. He had been training with Kisuke on and off for three straight days, with just enough rest time to sleep and eat. Urahara had warned Naruto that his training sessions were tough, but he never bargained for anything like this.

"What are you…trying to…do" Naruto gasped, taking in a huge gulp of air "Kill me!"

"You got it" his teacher replied, approaching him "You're Kido is excellent, you excel at Hand-to-Hand combat, but out of it all you suck at Zanjutsu. That's why you came to me and this is how I teach"

He stabbed out with his sword and Naruto barely had enough time to parry it, he heard the scrapping as the two blades screeched. He pushed out, throwing his teachers sword aside and swung for a killing stroke. Urahara's movements after that didn't register to his senses. One second his face was on a collision course with the tip of his Zanpakuto, the next his head bobbed to the side and all that Naruto's blade cut through was an afterimage.

"You used my own momentum against me" Kisuke said with a small smile, and then lashed out with his own Zanpakuto. Naruto threw himself back, the tip of the blade nicking his grey training shirt "And you're reflexes are better as well"

He skidded back several feet and fell to a knee, his breath coming and going in shrill gasps.

"Get up Naruto-kun" Kisuke said, his eyes as hard as diamonds "We're no where near finished yet"

------

Sakura bent over, starring into the face of her closest friend, a face whose eyes were closed, a gentle snoring could be heard. She groaned and, reaching out with her free hand flicked him on the forehead, he slowly tweaked open his eyes, groaned and closed them again.

The next flick sent his head snapping back, this time he awoke with a throbbing headache not unlike that of a hangover. He reeled forward and looked into a pair of fierce green eyes, which softened upon seeing the dark bags under his sapphire orbs.

"You've been training again"

He nodded.

"How long"

He raised his hand, showing all four fingers and a thumb.

"Five days" she asked in disbelief.

He raised his other hand, once again prominently showing all four fingers and a thumb.

"Ten days"

He nodded.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed" she asked.

"I'm a month behind on Zanjutsu training Sakura-chan" Naruto spoke up "If I don't pass then I won't make it to second year"

"Then do better on your other classes" Sakura replied in a shrill tone "You're Kido is one of the best in the entire class, your hand to hand is the best in the class"

"My trainer is Urahara"

She reeled back, starring at him "_The _Kisuke Urahara"

"Yes" he replied "I'm already better than I was before"

"That will mean little to nothing if you can't even stand up straight" she growled back.

A wry smile appeared on his face "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried about me"

"Of course I am you idiot"

Naruto was about to muster a reply, but stopped and slumped back into his chair. She leaned forward, crossed her arms across the table and buried her head into them with a sigh of irritation.

"You know Sakura-chan" he started "You're cute when you're angry"

She tilted her head to face him, her green eyes all that could be seen through her mess of pink hair "Usually when I'm angry you end up punched through a wall"

"Not that type of angry" he smirked, leaning back with his elbows "That's terrifying"

She reached out with her right hand and poked him on the forehead "Just don't push yourself too hard okay?"

He raised his hand across his forehead in a mock salute "Yes ma'am"

------

The clearing was the perfect place to train, surrounded on all sides by high pine trees with the only way in a barely used mountainous trail.

Temari backed up a step, moving her body so smoothly that it was hard to believe that she was moving at all. Every swipe and stroke of her opponent's sword was dodged with such finesse that it seemed like she was a master dancer performing on a stage, minutes went by and she had barely made an offensive action.

Out of their entire class the best swordsman was always Temari. She had the natural talent for it and as the years went by that talent was nurtured into pure skill. No other student was in her league, some of the lecturers were no match for her. That was the reason why Naruto was fighting her.

He was drenched in sweat from his exertions, his breathing was ragged and his chest was heaving. Temari moved fluently, she spun at a downward stroke, missing the blade. This was followed by a quick low level sweep which she jumped over, spinning in midair and landing on her feet to his left.

She countered with a quick stab from her sword. He took a step back, bringing his sword up to deflect the blade, metal scrapped against metal, sending sparks flying. She retracted her blade and took three fluid steps back, which he followed, attacking her with her sword again and again. All the while she had a serene smile which never broke.

Before he knew it his sword flew from his grasp, and he was thrown to the floor, a blade held against his throat. Temari kept it there for a few moments before retracting and sheathing her Zanpakuto.

"Better" she stated, grabbing his hand and helping him too his feet "But you should never let down your guard, doesn't matter how long the fight goes on for"

"I got it" he said, rubbing his neck.

"You need to sharpen up" she then smirked "But you're getting better"

"Thanks"

"Yeah, he is getting better" both looked over to see Shikamaru, lying on a flat rock at the edge of the clearing, looking up at the blue skies.

Right where they left him

"You have no right to talk" Temari growled "You have been getting off with the bare minimum passing grades!"

"I still passed didn't I?" he asked uncaringly.

Temari growled in annoyance, muttering a colorful set of curses under her breath. Some were so colorful that Naruto visibly flinched as if they were aimed at him. Shikamaru didn't seem to care. He just kept lying on his rock looking up at the sky. It seemed like one moment they were the best of friends, the next moment they were arguing furiously with each other, almost to the point where he thought one would draw a sword and cut the other to ribbons.

"The final examination is tomorrow" Shikamaru stated, catching both their attention "You guys sure your ready for this"

"Off course" Temari huffed.

"A trip to the world of the living" Naruto muttered with a grin "An actual hunting mission with a Shinigami squad leader"

"That Shinigami will be marking us on how we do" Shikamaru added "What a drag"

"You do know who the ranking officer is" she starred at him and sighed from the blank looks on both their faces "Men. What will we do with you two!?"

"Some big shot Vice-Captain" Naruto answered at last "Not sure who"

This led to another irritated sigh.

------

Naruto looked up at the sun, saw that he was going to be late and mentally decided to take a shortcut. He jumped into the heavy foliage away from the path and began using his agility to jump from branch to branch of the massive pine trees. For a normal student this would have been a longer and more difficult route, but for him with his Ninja training it was as easy as walking.

He stopped, almost falling from his branch when he heard a heated argument taking place below. He looked down and saw two figures shouting at each other. One was Shikamaru, who had lost his cool. This was news to Naruto. He never lost his cool. The other was Temari, looking like she did when she met an enemy she couldn't wait to kill.

Whatever they were arguing about, Naruto wasn't sure. But he distinctly heard Temari call Shikamaru a jerk and an ass. While the Nara shot back that she was really starting to get on his nerves. He was about to continue on, knowing that they needed to sort out their differences themselves. Something caught his eye which made him stay.

Temari was yelling again, but Shikamaru was remaining quiet, looking intently at the screaming former Sand Ninja's mouth. It all happened in a flash. He grabbed her and kissed her fiercely, silencing her fit. Naruto gaped as he watched, thinking that the first thing she would do was push him away and cut him in half with her training Zanpakuto. Instead she leaned back, eyes closed, hands grasping at his hair. They both fell down then, and started to disrobe.

Naruto, snapping out of his trance decided he shouldn't stay, especially when he saw a white top thrown from the bushes the two had vanished in, followed by a feminine moan.

He definitely shouldn't stay.

Sakura was waiting at the front entrance of the academy, looking at her watch and frowning. They were all late, this was the final examination. If they didn't show up they'd fail the year. Finally she saw Naruto jump from the trees, land into a crouch and break into a run.

He ran right past her.

"Naruto" she shouted "You're late, where have you been!?"

"Dirty" he stuttered "Need shower!"

She frowned "Where's Shikamaru and Temari?"

"Getting dirty!" he shouted back before vanishing from view.

------

The remaining members of their class had already mostly assembled, out of the three hundred original students in their class only sixty remained. These were the ones who had proven themselves in their studies, whether they had the potential to become swordsmen, hand-to-hand combatants, Kido users, healers, assassins or scholars.

Quietly he and Sakura took their seats and waited. A few more minutes passed before Shikamaru and Temari entered the hall, their appearances ruffled and messy from their extracurricular activities.

"So what do you guys know about our proctor" Naruto asked, pushing his memories of early that morning to the far corners of his mind, plenty of time to tease later.

"Apparently he just became Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division" Shikamaru explained "Looks like a wimp to me, don't know how he did it"

"What's his name?"

Before he could answer the doors at the end of the classroom opened with a heavy creak and a column of twenty black robed Shinigami entered the chamber. At their head was a tall and lanky figure with brown hair and dark eyes hidden under a pair of square glasses. He wore the black Shihakusho with an armband representing the Fifth Division placed on his left upper arm.

He led the platoon of Shinigami down the central aisle of the tiered classroom, his presence more than his appearance creating shock and awe to the students surrounding him. Naruto considered himself descent enough at sensing spiritual pressure and even he had to admit that he was impressed, so this was the power of a Vice-Captain.

Once the line of Shinigami took their seats on the stage the Vice-Captain stepped up to the central podium and cleared his throat, the entire class quieted down within the space of a few heartbeats.

He smiled a disarming smile "Congratulations on making it to the final examination, my name is Aizen Sosuke, Vice-Captain of the Fifth Imperial Court Guard Division and the main proctor for this exam"

* * *

**Sorry it took so long, I have finally gained a placement**** at an Architectural Practise…the only problem is its seventy odd miles away from my house, so unless I slack off I won't be able to update on my stories just as quickly as before. Anyway sorry for this chapter being short, but its vital to what's coming up next.**


	7. Grave of the World

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Grave of the World**_

_Music_

_Creeping Shadows; Bleach OST, Raw Breath of Danger; Bleach OST, Nothing can be Explained (Vocal version); Bleach OST_

Naruto stepped out of the gateway and took a deep breath. He was in the living world again, and even if it was only for a brief moment he wanted to savour it. Heck if he could bottle it and keep it in his dorm room he would.

It was night, stars and a crescent moon visible in the clear sky, casting an eerie twilight across the landscape. The position of the examination appeared to be the ruins of an old town, possibly even a city. Half of the structures were in ruins, some had partially collapsed, and others were nothing more than piles of rubble.

This scene quelled his enthusiasm, but he admitted that the perfect place to hunt hollows was a place where the living where scarce.

"Naruto" Sakura appeared beside him, starring at him quizzically "Hey, earth to Naruto"

"Hmm" was his only reply.

"We're moving out"

"Oh, right" he said and hurried after the small group.

After a brief introduction by the Vice-Captain, and Naruto was happy to say brief considering it only lasted five minutes, he handed out small strips of paper and asked that they be passed around. Each scrap contained a symbol and those with the same symbol would be placed in a team of three, with a Shinigami overseer.

The reason for this was to test the students to see how well they could cope to being placed in a squad with strangers. That's what Aizen said anyway. Luckily enough he was in the same group as Sakura, but the third and final individual was not someone who would be his first choice, in fact he wouldn't have been his second, third, fourth or nineteenth choice.

The man in question loved fighting, really loved fighting, to an almost fanatical degree. In fact he and Naruto had knocked each other senseless quite a few times during their three year tenure.

His name was Ikkaku Madarame, a bald, violent, daredevil lunatic whose idea of a good night out was getting wasted and having a few punch ups with bouncers, fellow customers, barmen, the owner of the pub, the nine Shinigami who had to restrain him and basically any innocent bystanders who were passing by.

It was the first and last time Naruto went out drinking with that man, ever!

He was also a damn brilliant swordsman. Couldn't do a Kido spell to save his life though, in fact him performing a spell would be his version of suicide. He was aiming for the Eleventh Division, which in Naruto's opinion was a good match. Send the lunatic into the asylum.

"Hey you lot" their Shinigami overseer growled "Keep up!"

------

The area in question was perfect for the examination. It was the ruins of a city. The two to three storey high structures that remained intact had holes punched into their walls. Some were crumbling, ceilings had partially collapsed. Some of the buildings had collapsed into piles of rubble and twisted steel work. Just by looking down upon the abandoned pocketed and cratered streets he could tell that the settlement had been recently abandoned.

Sosuke Aizen looked down upon the deserted town, standing on thin air a hundred meters above the surface, watching the spectacle begin below. They had begun fanning out, searching for any Hollows. Their Shinigami squad leaders holding their position on high ground, standing or sitting on the rooftops of buildings or on the heads of flickering lampposts, keeping a close eye on their charges.

Many of these students weren't anything special, many would make it into the ranks of the Gotei, but most of them would be lucky to make it into a seated position. He was interested in only one person.

Naruto Uzumaki.

His past was kept top secret, only Captain-class Shinigami were allowed to view his files. That excluded Vice-Captains such as himself. Luckily he had plenty of contacts who were able to send him the needed information. Aizen was impressed, and he wanted to see how powerful this kid truly was.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a small round object, it was Hollow bait. Using it to attract Hollows to the examination area was standard procedure. But this wasn't your normal bait. He had laced it with a special ingredient to only attract certain Hollows.

"Naruto Uzumaki" he murmured "Just how strong are you?"

With a simple flex of his muscles he crushed the bait in his hand and allowed the dust fragments to scatter from his reach. He turned around and began walking from the city centre, a smile crossing his features when he heard an unnatural roar reverberate through the air.

Let the 'exam' begin.

------

The Hollow was a grotesque creature. It stood twice the size of a man with dark green skin of pure muscle, a body shaped like that of an ape with huge arms and paws, small stubby legs and a broad chest. Blades of bone stuck out of its elbows, looking perfectly capable of stabbing through meat and bone. A curved white mask covered its face. The holes for its eyes were a black abyss. When it opened its mouth it revealed a smaller human mouth, and when it roared the sound was what nightmares were made off.

Naruto and Sakura ran at the beast together, their guardsmen Zanpakuto's drawn and ready for battle. The creature lashed out with one paw, slamming it into the concrete where Sakura once stood, leaving a crater in the ground.

His teammate was able to jump to the side in time, leaving the creature to attack him. It attacked with its other giant hand, but unlike Sakura he stopped, braced himself and brought up his sword to parry. The fist met the steel, sending him skidding back a few feet.

It was then that his last teammate made his appearance. He rushed past Naruto, getting through the creatures defences and slashed a long gash across its chest. The Hollow reeled back, screaming in pain. Sakura took her cue, jumping up behind the creature and stabbed her Zanpakuto through the back of its head, exiting through the mask.

The Hollow gave one last moan before its mask cracked, and it vanished into nothing.

Sakura walked through the dissolving mass, raised her hand and gave Naruto a high five, she looked like she was enjoying herself "That's four"

"Two to you, one to me" Naruto said with a grin "And one too-"

"Ah shut up" Ikkaku growled, sheathing his sword "I had something in my eye that time"

"And the time before that" Naruto murmured.

"And the time before that" Sakura added.

Both looked at each other for a moment before they started to snigger.

"Keep talking" Madarame shot back lightly, lifting his sheathed sword and leaning it against his shoulders "The next one is mine"

"Okay, okay" Naruto conceded, getting his laughter under control "We'll keep the next one busy and you go for the kill shot"

"You better"

"He doesn't go back on his word" Sakura replied, clasping her hands behind her back and leaning forward "That's just his way, isn't that right Naruto-kun"

The blonde nodded "Mm-hmm"

"Good" their squad mate replied "Now let's find our fifth kill"

As the three started walking down the street Sakura looked up at the damaged rooftops, and frowned "Where's our examiner"

"Eh, he's around here somewhere" Ikkaku replied uncaringly.

------

She didn't even see it coming. One moment she and her two teammates were finishing off a Hollow. Then there was a scream from nearby. She and her squad mates looked up in horror at what they saw.

A huge Hollow floated above them, its form that of a sinewy white snake with a frilled dragon mask covering its face, a tangled long mane of dark blue hair reaching down its back. Its eyes glowed feral red, the same shade of crimson which coated its incisor like teeth.

Caught in its maw was the limp form of their Shinigami squad leader. He looked up, his wide eyes leaking blood, blood which flowed down his Shihakusho, slipped down the long chin of the beast and dripped to the ground. Then he managed one last scream before it clamped down with its jaw, slicing his body in two with an explosion of gore.

The bottom half of their instructor, two legs and what were left of his hips landed on the concrete with a wet, bone snapping slap. Her two squad mates took a step back, swords in their hands, but their forms were shivering. Sweat glistening down their brows.

"Calm down" Temari called, mentally cursing her voice for sounding so damn afraid.

Her two squad mates were Kentaro Sohma and Akemi Sasaki. She had known them for three years. Kentaro was a big mouth and self obsessed with that rug of brown hair, but his Kido was ranked ninth in the class. Akemi had a more easygoing personality, more laid back like Shikamaru, but she had a natural talent in Zanjutsu.

"Listen to me" she shouted, knocking the two of them from their fearful trance "Kentaro, get a spell going, the strongest Hado you can. Akemi, you and me will keep it busy!"

The girl nodded. Kentaro nervously began wording a silent chant. While he whispered the spell Temari and Akemi charged the Hollow, who reeled back and roared its fury at the world. Then it lashed out, so fast that it didn't register to her senses. She heard a sickening crunch and turned her head to see Akemi, impaled through the chest by a long bladed tail.

She sputtered a wordless cry before her body was lifted off the ground and thrown to the side of the street like a ragdoll. She landed with a bone crunching thud, dead before she hit the wall.

Temari could barely react when the creature screamed past her. She took a swing at it with her Zanpakuto, only to see the blade screech harmlessly off its armoured back. It opened its mouth and caught Kentaro in its maw. The kid had time to cry for help before it tore him to shreds. Blood spattered everywhere and terror finally gripped Temari's heart when she found she was all that was left.

Gritting her teeth she took a stance and raised her sword. The Hollow looked up at her, its feral eyes emanating an unnatural hunger for her flesh, her blood, her soul.

"Come on you fucking monster" she shouted before screaming a battle cry and charging.

------

It was the roars which gained their attention first, dozens upon dozens of cries and calls, like a symphony of tortured souls crying out in anger and pain at the world. Then there was the clashes of steel, the screams of panicking students and the calls of Shinigami to run.

Then the Hollow exploded from the ground, barely twenty feet behind them, sending dirt and shattered concrete in every direction. The creature had the long white body of a snake, with a frilled mask shaped like an ancient dragon of legend, a long mane of black snaked down its back and its maw of razor teeth looked capable of cutting a person in half.

It looked at their backs with feral eyes and rushed forward, aiming for Sakura. She turned to see nothing but a long snout full of teeth. Then a force threw her away. She landed hard on the concrete ground, jarring her right arm. Pained she looked up to see Naruto stopping the creature with his sword, but it was only just, the strength behind the assault sent him skidding back several feet. He must have pushed her out of the way.

Cursing herself she rose to her feet, gathered her rietsu and whispered a chant _"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat, Bakudo Kyuu; Horin (Way of Binding 9; Disintegrating Circle)!!!"_

A spiralling yellow tendril erupted from her hands and shot across the small distance to the Hollow, wrapping itself along its sinewy body and tightening. The creature struggled for a few moments, roared in anger and fell to the ground. But it continued to struggle, bucking and thrashing against the spell which entrapped it.

Ikkaku jumped in the air, his sword raised over his head for a downward stroke. He slashed across the Hollows neck, severing its head from its body, and with one last tortured cry it disintegrated.

"You saved me Sakura-chan" Naruto said, withdrawing a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Idiot" she cried "That thing could have killed you! What we're you thinking!?"

He looked at her in surprise, before muttering in a small voice "I was protecting you"

Sakura stopped, unable to muster a retort. They stood like that for a few seconds, but for them it seemed like an eternity.

"Hey guys" they turned to Ikkaku "I don't want to interrupt your moment but, here comes another one!"

Another, almost exact copy of the one they just defeated came barrelling down the street, its huge jaws opening for a savage scream. Sakura jumped back, already murmuring the words of another binding spell. Ikkaku and Naruto held their Zanpakuto and stood between the beast and their squad mate.

"This one's mine" Naruto said.

"Fair is fair" Ikkaku replied "I'll be the bait this time"

------

A horizontal slash across its mask was all it took, the Hollow screamed before disintegrating into dust. Another one tried to spear him from behind. He sidestepped its attack and stabbed his Zanpakuto through its reptilian shaped white mask. A third, this one shaped like a praying mantis tried to take his head off with its scythed arms, he stopped the blade with his index and middle finger, before cutting the offensive creature in half with a vertical slash from the top of its head to its pelvis.

Sosuke Aizen watched as the three Hollow slowly turned to nothing. The fight had lasted for barely a second, and in that time he was able to take out three of them with one stroke, barely exerting any power at all. To any normal Shinigami this would have been amazing.

A snarl caught his attention and he looked down to see one of his creations, floating in midair thirty feet below him, its long body coiled up and starring at him with vicious, hungry eyes. It pounced, its dragon like head opening its maw for the kill. It met with nothing but an afterimage, one strike from Aizen and the creature joined its three comrades.

"Hmm" he muttered "It seems you are a complete failure. I have no need of pets that turn on their master" he felt a spike of power and smiled "He is good, with that kill that makes three. Only another seven to go Naruto-kun"

------

He threw himself away just as the creature buried its long snout into the dirt, rolled across the concrete and came up on a knee, by then he had already spoken the necessary incantation for the Kido spell he was preparing. He brought his hands together and concentrated.

"_Hado Shi: Byakurai (Way of Destruction 4; Pale Lightning)!"_

A concentrated bolt of powerful blue lightning burst forth from his hands, striking the creature in the midsection, the bolt was no where near as powerful as that used by his instructors, but it was still enough to send a powerful electric jolt through the Hollows form and send it tumbling to the ground, screaming that terrifying scream.

Without giving it a second thought Shikamaru got up from his crouch, turning to the only man who had stayed with him he shouted a simple word "Run!"

As he ran down the street and turned a corner he heard that banshee scream and knew the Hollow was back up.

His mind was working a mile a minute, processing the information he gained from that small skirmish. It was obvious that these Hollows were aiming for the Shinigami proctors first, so he guessed that they had a grasp on tactics. Without the Shinigami most of the students would turn tail and run, leaving only a handful of the stronger students to fight, and die by these creatures hands…claws.

And it just so happened that he was in the stronger student's category, or at least he was on the list for stubbornness and stupidity.

That god awful scream assaulted his ears again, making him look up in time to see a Shinigami charge one of the Dragon Hollow. The two surged towards each other and met in a hail of sparks as the katana collided with the creatures serrated teeth. The two then separated, backed up and circled each other.

He rounded a corner to ran into Naruto and his team, colliding with a bald dude with red eyeliner and landing in a heap of flailing limbs "Ah this is such a drag!!!"

"Hey get off my foot"

"Then get your elbow off my gut!"

Still flailing, the two rolled off each other and got to their feet, starring murder at one another. Naruto broke the palpable silence "Where's the rest of your squad?"

"Our proctor is dead" Shikamaru started "And half of my squad mates ran off like a couple of scared goats"

"Hey Yumichika" Ikkaku greeted to the man behind him, raising his hand in a wave

Naruto looked up and stifled a grown, of all the people he had to run into it had to be this guy. Yumichika Ayasegawa was Ikkaku's running buddy, the two of them were close friends, but unlike his bald companion he wasn't much of a fighter, he had talent, but didn't care enough to use it. He was also a creepy individual, constantly fretting over his looks and always picking on people whom he considered ugly. But he was smart, and could be completely serious when he wanted to be.

"The Hollow aren't your garden variety" Yumichika spoke up "They're faster, smarter and stronger than the one's we fought at the beginning"

"It seems that they're targeting the Shinigami first" Shikamaru added "Killing them off then moving onto the students, without the proctors they'll start to panic"

"They've already started to panic" Sakura chastised "We need to gather as many as we can and try and survive long enough for the Soul Society to send a combat squad"

"That'll take too long" Naruto shook his head "This exam is supposed to last for another two hours at least, it'll be three before they even start to assemble some kind of response, probably a Patrol squad"

"Then there's only one option" Ikkaku said, leaning his sword against the back of his neck "We kill them before they kill us"

No one voiced any objections, and after a moment of silence Sakura spoke up "If we're going to fight then we do it together…and we're going to need a squad leader"

"I vote Naruto" Shikamaru said.

"Me too" Sakura added, raising her hand.

"I don't really care either way" Ikkaku muttered.

"Fine, fine" Yumichika agreed haphazardly "What are your orders oh stoic leader"

Ignoring the sarcasm Naruto spoke up his plan "We fight together…Sakura-chan, you're our Kido expert, stay out of the main fight and hit them with spells. Shikamaru, you're our strategist, stay back and guard her flank. Ikkaku, Yumichika and me will be the front line troops, the rule is simple, any Hollow attack us we engage"

Sakura and Shikamaru nodded.

Ayasegawa shrugged.

Ikkaku grinned like a madman "That's what I wanted to hear!"

"What about Temari-san" Shikamaru asked.

"We'll look for her" Naruto said "If I'm right her squad was in the next sector across from yours"

A voice, weak and shivering whimpered from the shadows "Shika…maru"

Everyone spun around, Zanpakuto drawn and ready. What they saw made their eyes widen in shock. Temari was leaning against a half demolished wall, dragging herself towards their position. Her left arm hung limply at her side, blood dripping from her fingertips and plopping onto the concrete. As she dragged herself along the wall Naruto could see a long smear of blood.

Shikamaru was the first to move, he rushed past them and caught her as she fell, her sudden weight causing him to fall to a knee "Temari, speak to me" when all that came from her lips was a ragged breath he began to panic "Temari!"

A shadow fell upon the two of them and the former Konoha Shinobi looked up to see the long sinewy body of one of the snake Hollow, its head coiled back for a killing stroke.

On instinct Sakura acted _"Bakudo Ichi; Sai (Way of Binding 1; Restrain)"_

The long jaws of the serpent suddenly clamped shut, almost like an invisible rope had been tied around it. It began to growl and struggle against the restraining spell. Naruto knew that it wouldn't last more than a few seconds. It was the weakest binding spell.

He rushed up to his two friends and quickly checked Temari's condition. She had been in a really bad fight. Her hakama was cut in several places. He could see slash wounds underneath, deep and oozing blood. Her eyes were glazed over and he could tell that she was going in and out of consciousness.

"We got to move" he said firmly to Shikamaru, grabbing his shoulder and shaking it "Pick her up Nara, she's your girl isn't she!?"

The words shook his friend from his trance, gritting his teeth he put his arms around her and picked her up off the ground, dashing back towards Sakura as fast as his legs could carry him. Naruto remained, his Zanpakuto unsheathed and held in his right hand, the blade flickering in the low light.

Ikkaku and Yumichika stepped up to the plate, flanking him, they're own Zanpakuto drawn and ready. The spell lost the last remnants of its power, there was a fizzle of static and the creature's mouth snapped open. It reared back and gave a spine chilling squeal of anger, before looking down and locking eyes with the three students standing defiantly before it.

The three fell into defensive stances, eyes locked with the monster "We'll take it together" Naruto whispered "Yumichika-san attack it from the right, I'll go down the centre, Ikkaku-"

His strategy was rudely interrupted by a war cry as Madarame ran past him, jumping into the air and swinging his blade at the creature's mask. Naruto saw the bloodthirsty smile and the twinkle of mirth in his comrades eye, and knew that any strategy would be impossible to follow for him.

"Change of plan" he growled "You go right, I'll go left, that suicidal fool will go down the centre!"

The madman lashed out with his Zanpakuto, only for the blade to meet with the rigid scales of the Hollows tail, it brought it up as a shield to protect the mask. It then thrashed the tail back and forth, throwing Madarame off. He flew back and slammed into the far wall, the impact causing it to collapse on top off him, trapping him in a pile of rubble.

Yumichika was next, jumping in from the right, stabbing out with his Zanpakuto. The Hollow moved to the side, just a fraction but enough for his second opponent to slice through a few strands of its dark emerald mane. It then lashed out with its barbed tail, catching the trainee in the sternum and sending him skidding across the ground, he landed in a heap and didn't get back up.

"Damn it" Naruto roared as he jumped into the air, coming face to face with the Hollow. He swung his blade in an arc, slashing the side of its mask, the cut was too shallow.

It roared and swung its long tail, unlike his comrades Naruto saw it coming and twisted his body round, planting his feet onto the appendage and using the momentum to throw him clear. He landed in a crouch, skidding several meters across the floor to within a few yards of Shikamaru, Sakura and Temari.

He jumped to his feet and skipped back a few more steps, not letting the Hollow out of his sight "How is she?"

"Barely breathing, losing blood" Sakura replied, using her hands to try and stem the tide of crimson from the largest wound, a slash mark across the Sand Nin's abdomen. She closed her eyes, muttered an incantation and placed her blood soiled hands over the wound, they glowed a feint green as the healing spell came into effect.

Shikamaru looked torn between staying with Naruto or going to her, he grabbed his shoulder "You're the strategist here, think, help me!!!"

"What do you want me to do!?" he snapped back.

"Be the Ninja you were" Naruto replied "Think of a strategy that can get us and Temari out of here alive!"

Shikamaru glared at his friend, then closed his eyes and took a few deep, cleansing breaths, when he opened them again his earlier fear and anxiety were gone. He turned to Sakura "I need another Bakudo, something that'll keep it busy for a few seconds!"

Sakura was silent for a moment, and only spoke when she finished healing Temari's stomach wound "I can do that"

"Naruto, we'll attack it from two sides with the strongest Hado spell we've got" Nara said to his former superior "Ready?"

The blonde nodded, and with one final glance the two of them ran in separate directions, just as Sakura unleashed her restraining spell _"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and claw out your own throat! Bakudo Kyuu; Geki (Way of Binding 9; Strike)!"_

A harsh red light encompassed the entire Hollows form, immobilising it from making any moves against its attackers. Both Naruto and Shikamaru came at it from different sides, each one muttering a destructive incantation.

Shikamaru chose his spell and gathering his power into the palms of his hands began his chant _"Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man-"_

At the same time Naruto had decided upon his move, and gathering what he needed into the middle and index fingers of his free hand _"Ye lord, mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man-"_

"_-Inferno and pandemonium-"_

"_-Truth and temperance-"_

"_-The sea barrier surges, marches on to the south-"_

"_-Upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws-"_

"_-Hado Sanjuuichi; Shakkaho (Way of Destruction 31; Shot of Red Fire)!"_

"_-Hado Sanjuusan; Sokatsui (Way of Destruction 33; Blue Fire, Crash Down)!"_

From Shikamaru's palms came a blast of red light, a ball of energy the size of a melon but with enough destructive power to blow a hole through the strongest material. Naruto fired a burst of blue energy. It was released from his fingertips in streaks of burning electric fire. The two deadly Kido spells struck the Hollow within a moment of each other. The creature screamed in pain before being encompassed in white smoke.

When the smoke cleared an eternity later the Hollow had a massive hole blown through its right side by Shikamaru and half of its mask burned away by Naruto's blue fire. The Nara finished it off, jumping into the air and bringing his sword down upon the cracked remains of its mask, slicing it in half. The Hollow gave one last, pitiful screech before it disintegrated into dust.

Shikamaru landed in a crouch, and looked back at Temari and Sakura. His eyes widened in horror and Naruto forced himself to turn. Sakura was kneeling next to Temari's prone form, eyes closed, giving her all into healing spells to try and save her friends life. She didn't notice the serpent Hollow behind her until it coiled its tail around her and hefted her into the air. She screamed.

"Sakura-chan" Naruto cried.

Both of them charged the Hollow, roaring battle cries to take its attention from Sakura's squirming form. Shikamaru was first to get there and jumped, bringing his sword down. He was thrown aside by the creature's long sinewy neck, landing with a painful thud onto the pavement.

Naruto was next and swung his Zanpakuto, making contact with the rigid scales, there was a spurt of red and the Hollow screamed. He jumped back, sword held at the ready as it looked his way. Demon eyes boring into him, he refused to back down.

"Naruto" Sakura cried "Look out!!!"

He didn't see the second Hollow, couldn't sense it until the bladed tip of a tail stabbed through his back and exiting through his side, spurting blood onto the already blood soaked pavement. He looked down to see the long tail exiting from his stomach. It dragged him into the air and threw him to the side. The last he heard was Sakura's cry.

"Narutooo!!!!"

* * *

**The new chapter is up, hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who voted on my character poll, and for those of you who voiced your own ideas for the name of Naruto's Zanpakuto, over 80 people voted, democracy works!!! The poll is officially closed the moment this chapter was uploaded. Results will follow in the next chapter.**


	8. The Name Never Spoken

_**Chapter 7**_

_**The Name Never Spoken**_

_Music_

_Response of Souls; Naruto Shippuden OST; Raw Breath of Danger; Bleach OST; Come to Lend a Hand: Bleach OST_

_He was back in the recesses of his mind again. The long corridor, Dark and dank stretched out before him, water leaking from several cracks and forming puddles on the tiled floor. Without thinking he began to walk into the depths of his mind, nimbly sidestepping the puddles of dirty water._

_Before he knew it he was in that same chamber he remembered from so long ago, the water still reached up to his ankles, the prison of steel bars was still in front of him, the paper seal was still in place. But there was no fox in the darkness, not anymore._

"_Find me!"_

_He heard it in the deepest recesses of his thoughts, a small voice calling out to him. It was barely audible, and several times he needed to stop for silence to hear it._

"_My name"_

_He slowly walked towards the great iron bars of the empty prison, hearing the voice rise by a few decibels with every step he took. The voice seemed to be part of an echo. Every time it spoke the sound seemed to reverberate through the walls._

"_Reach out to me!"_

"_Hear me!"_

_He stopped at the threshold, looking into the darkness beyond. His mind told him that there was nothing to fear, not anymore. Yet a voice in the back of his head cried for him not to go in any further. _

_He silenced the voice, took a deep breath and stepped through the steel bars._

------

"What a disappointment"

Aizen looked down emotionlessly upon the skirmish taking place a few hundred feet below him. The blonde girl was down, her life force blurring between life and death. The pink haired girl had been captured by his snake, which was now tightening its coil, slowly crushing her. The boy with the ponytail was shakily getting to his feet to fight not one, but three of his creations as another two slithered into the courtyard. Two other students were unconscious, one partially buried under a pile of rubble, the other lying in a heap across the square.

And the one he was most interested in was lying on the concrete, hollow eyes looking up at the moon. He would be dead soon. The wound he had suffered was severe for a student. He didn't have the knowledge of medical Kido to heal himself. Even if he did Aizen doubted the boy was lucid enough to use it.

"I expected great things from you Naruto-kun" Aizen muttered under his breath, turning from the battle "Looks like I overestimated you"

------

_The darkness dissipated, and Naruto found himself overlooking a nostalgic landscape. He was standing on a stone mountain, seeing the faces of the seven Lord Hokage's of Konohagakure carved into the rock with exquisite detail._

_There was just one problem. The rules of gravity didn't seem to apply. He wasn't standing on top of the mountain, but on the side. In fact he was balancing himself on the nose of the Third Hokage._

_In front of him was a grey sky with small wisps of white cloud slowly following air currents. Behind him, in similar shade of greys were the rooftops of Konohagakure. He could make out the building where the Lord Hokage and the council of Elders resided, the apartment building he lived in, heck he even saw the ramen place he used to frequent._

"_Okay" he said to himself "This is weird"_

_He felt a presence then, a spike of spiritual pressure so like his own that he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He turned to see a figure standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at him. His facial features were rounded, silver eyes bored into his sapphire orbs, his spiked black hair fluttered with the wind. He wore the battle dress of a Jounin of Konoha. Black baggy pants with the symbol of the leaf etched just below black hip pockets, a green sleeveless flak jacket with pockets and satchels, a black long sleeved shirt under it and a pair of black laced boots, and most noticeable of all was the headband of a Konoha Ninja tied to his forehead._

_Naruto looked at this stranger for what seemed like an eternity, before clearing his throat "Who are you?"_

"_What, you don't recognise me" the stranger asked, taking a few steps from the top of the cliff. It was then that Naruto noticed the weapons satchel tied to his right leg, and the sword sheathed to his back with a dark blue scabbard "How many times must I call my name before you hear me? It's me-"_

_The stranger's mouth continued to move, but Naruto couldn't hear what he said next. The ninja looked at him for a moment, before sighing in agitation "I see, so you still can't hear my name"_

"_Where am I?" Naruto asked._

"_You are in your inner world" the stranger replied "This is the inner most depths of your mind"_

"_My mind" Naruto repeated to himself, then he remembered getting pierced through the back "I was stabbed in the back"_

"_You are near death" the ninja agreed "And you will die unless you act"_

"_How can I act" Naruto growled back "I…I failed them, I failed them again"_

_The ninja sighed and vanished from view. Naruto looked up and blinked in astonishment. One moment he was fifty feet away, the next he was right in front of him. The two stared at each other. After a long moment he spoke._

"_What matters most to you?"_

_Naruto looked him in the eyes._

"_Why do you want my strength" the man asked, not breaking eye contact with him "Wealth, riches, power?"_

_Naruto glared at him "No"_

"_Then why?"_

"_The Hollow" Naruto snapped "They don't give a damp who they hurt. They just hunt, they eat souls, and innocent people die!"_

"_It is instinct" his Zanpakuto replied simply "Will you sentence them all to extinction because they follow their instincts?"_

"_I'm not interested in hunting their kind to extinction" Naruto replied "As long as suffering and loneliness perceiver the Hollow flourish, they will never go extinct. No, I want to guard the innocent, I want to take up my sword to protect their victims, I am a defender"_

"_There is another reason" the man said "Someone you want to protect right now"_

_He hesitated, thought of Temari, covered in her own blood. Shikamaru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, fighting alongside him and being thrown like ragdolls. Sakura, caught in the tail of the beast. Just the thought of losing her, his closest friend, made him feel sick to his stomach._

"_My friends" he said in a low whisper, yet full of conviction "I must save my friends!"_

"_You already failed them once" his Zanpakuto pointed out "Why put yourself through that again?"_

"_Because my friends mean everything to me" Naruto replied "They are my family, my life. They brought me from the depths of despair, they pulled me up when I thought I was drowning!"_

"_You would die for them?"_

"_I would die a hundred times to save them"_

"_Very well" the stranger conceded "I will tell you my name one more time, if you hold onto that conviction you will hear me"_

_He leaned to Naruto's ear "My name is-"_

------

He whispered the name, and the uttering seemed to bring strength to his numb limbs. He got on his hands and knees slowly, crawling to within arms reach of the blade. It was a curved katana, a Zanpakuto sheathed in a dark blue scabbard, its guard was round and engraved silver with the black symbol of a leaf etched into every ninety degree angle, the hilt was wrapped tightly in dark blue and black cloth.

He gripped the scabbard and forced himself to a knee, then to his feet. His sudden movement did not go unnoticed by one of the Hollow, who turned to him, screamed, and charged with speed to finish him off.

He knew what he needed to do. Holding the sword horizontally in front of him, stretching out his arms, one hand gripped onto the top of the scabbard while the other rested on the hilt of the sword. He unsheathed the blade by a few centimetres, allowing a glint of silver to be seen before shouting his Zanpakuto's release command.

"Descend, _Kazerasshu (Wind Lash)_!!!"

The wind picked up, small wisps of barely visible blades which coalesced together and began to circle around him, faster and faster until he was in the eye of a small tornado. The Hollow slammed into the lashing winds and was torn to tiny pieces as the air lacerated its body with slashes and cuts. The wind exploded outward and Naruto stood, tall and proud with a strange blade in his hand.

------

Aizen turned around to see the funnel of a tornado reach up through the sky. He smiled, one moment the kid had been stabbed through the back, thrown to the ground and left to die, the next his rietsu flared and his presence returned to the battlefield, stronger than ever before.

Another flare of power and one of his Hollows was destroyed. Sliced to pieces, there was only one way for a young Shinigami to release that type of power, he had learned the name of his Zanpakuto.

A wind type from the tornado, it seemed to be one that could bend and manipulate the wind currents surrounding him. Refining the air into condensed blades of power, which could vary in size and number, Sosuke guessed that he could summon it too slice through a building with a single cut, or call upon them in great number to tear an enemy to shreds.

This was all speculation, but if he was right then the boy could be a force to be reckoned with.

"I knew you wouldn't be a waist of my time, Naruto-kun"

------

The pommel of the released state was shaped like an arrowhead with a half meter long hilt covered in grey cloth. The guard was a thin, grey cross-guard, the right side curving down into a finger guard reaching three quarters the length of the hilt. The blade was dark blue with a white edge along the sword, curved on either side with two spike-like protrusions on the top quarter of the spine.

He looked at Kazerasshu's released form and grimaced, the blade looked like it was designed so that when it was stabbed into a body it wouldn't come out again easy, it reminded him of a fish hook, designed for maximum damage.

A cry of pain got his attention and he looked over to see Sakura, the snake was tightening its coil around her, slowly crushing her chest and abdomen. She gritted her teeth to stifle her scream, closing her eyes tightly, as if silently wishing to wake up from a nightmare. A trickle of blood slid down the side of her mouth.

"Let her go" he shouted, and swung his sword. One moment the creature was about to crush her with its long coiled tail, the next the head of the Hollow slid from its body and it turned to dust. Sakura's limp form fell to the ground in a heap.

The last one looked to Naruto, roared and charged towards him, its long tail slamming into walls, sending debris of rock and wood in every direction. In response Naruto took a defensive stance, reached out with his free hand and reeled his sword arm back, he stood there, waiting for the Hollow to get within reach.

When the creatures jaw was a few centimetres from his face he stabbed out with the blade. The Hollow stopped dead in its tracks, like it slammed into an invisible shield, it gave off one last strangled cry before several thin cut marks appeared along its snout and face, the mask cracked and shattered, followed by the rest of the body.

He didn't give the disintegrating body a second glance. He rushed to Sakura's side, just as Shikamaru regained his footing and looked to Naruto in amazement. Just like in life Naruto continued to completely surprise him, and he found himself thinking if that was really Naruto.

He stood up and staggered over to his friend's side, he guessed that his own left side was badly bruised, but as he got closer he noticed that Naruto's injuries were worse. The wound in his side was open and spewing blood, staining his hakama crimson. He seemed to be keeping himself up by shear force of will. Temari was still unconscious, but thanks to Sakura's healing Kido all of her major wounds were sealed. Sakura was worse off. She was in pain. Blood trickled down her mouth, most likely from internal injuries. She was having trouble breathing, her breath coming in ragged breaths.

Naruto fell to her side, shaking her with his free hand "Sakura-chan?" She didn't answer, instead gasping in pain, and he panicked "Sakura-chan!!!"

"Naruto"

He cranked his head to see Shikamaru, Zanpakuto in hand, starring down something at the other end of the courtyard. It was another one of those Hollow snakes, three more of them. As they slithered into the square they were followed by a half dozen smaller Hollows of different shapes and sizes.

Naruto tried to stand, but fell to a knee, he had lost too much blood and Kazerasshu was getting heavy to wield. Forcing himself he got to his feet, swayed and staggered forward a few steps, he fell into a kendo stance, his sword held with both hands.

The lead Hollow looked him in the eye, then reeled back to scream. Something blurred and the Hollows face exploded into a dozen bloody pieces. Another blur and two of the smaller ones were cut in half. A figure appeared in front of him. Hand on the hilt of his unsheathed Zanpakuto.

"Sorry I'm late" Aizen apologised "I needed to get reinforcements"

The sliding doors of the _Senkaimon (World Penetration Gate)_ appeared a few meters behind them. It slid open, and a sudden, extremely powerful spiritual pressure assaulted Naruto's senses. He turned to see a man, dressed in black Shinigami attire with a long sleeved Captain's Haori. He had long blonde hair reaching down to the small of his back, a grin which showed his upper teeth, and green eyes.

Naruto recognised him immediately, Captain of 5th Company, Shinji Hirako. The Captain looked around and grumbled "What a mess"

He stepped past Naruto, patting him on the head "You did good kiddo, we'll take it from here" he drew his Zanpakuto as he walked, his very presence making the Hollows back away in fear.

A combat squad of Shinigami filed through the gateway, half followed their Captain and Lieutenant to the small horde of Hollow. The other half rushed to the injured, dragging the unconscious forms of Madarame and Ayasegawa away from the fight, two others rushed up to them and carefully lifted Sakura and Temari into their arms.

A hand grasped his shoulder.

"Time to go kid"

------

The Sotaicho looked over the report again, his wizened mind taking in every detail and confining it to memory. Finally he looked up to his assembled captains. All thirteen of them had answered his call, assembling from across the entirety of the Soul Society.

He looked up and berated himself, eleven, there were now eleven. The Captain of the 12th Division, Kirio Hikifune had only recently been promoted to Zero Division, the Royal Guard Corps, and the Captain of 10th Division, Isshin Kurosaki, was reported missing in action hunting Menos-class Hollow in the world of the living some six months ago.

To his left stood Yoruichi Shihoin of the 2nd Division, Rojuro Otoribashi of the 3rd Division, Retsu Unohana of 4th, Shinji Hirako of 5th and the old Genrei Kuchiki of the 6th Division. To his right stood Love Aikawa of 7th Division, Shunsui Kyoraku of 8th, Kensei Muguruma of 9th, the tall and ragged Kenpachi Zaraki of 11th and Joshiro Ukitake of 13th.

He turned to Shinji "Is the report true"

"It is" the Captain replied, his usual carefree antics replaced by a serious and grave mask "Out of the twenty Shinigami sent to monitor the exam seventeen were killed in action. The sixty students taking the exam have been whittled down to twenty. Of those twenty nine have been injured in combat, seven seriously"

He nodded "And the reports on the Hollows. Are they accurate?"

"I saw them myself" Shinji rebuked "These weren't your garden variety. They were stronger, faster and smarter than your average beasts. Not Menos-class by a long shot, but more than enough to take down a platoon of unseated Shinigami and three times that number of students"

"They were easy prey" Ukitake muttered, clenching his fists "Most of those kids didn't have a chance"

"Speak for yourself" Kenpachi replied, his gravelly voice seemed gleeful "That's the life of a Shinigami, live by the sword and die by the sword" before the white haired Captain could glare at him he continued "Still wasn't right though, those students wouldn't have even made for good sport"

"A few of them were able to hold them off until reinforcements arrived though" Yoruichi spoke up "What were their names?"

"Haruno Sakura was in critical condition with several rib and bone fractures, but stable now. Kazekage Temari, in serious but stable condition, healed of high risk cuts and slashes. Madarame Ikkaku, suffered from bone fractures and a broken leg. Ayesagawa Yamuchika, serious concussion, two broken ribs. Nara Shikamaru, heavy bruising to the entire right side of his ribcage…and Uzumaki Naruto, stabbed through the back, serious concussion and trauma to his ribs" Retsu listed the names off, worry laced in her voice, she knew quite a few of those students.

"I heard the last one killed four of them" Kenpachi said "He sounds like just what I'm looking for in my squad"

"Good luck to you then big guy" Shinji rebuked "'cause my Vice-Captain just brought him to my attention. Apparently the kid just learned the name of his Zanpakuto, which makes him the cream of the crop"

"A prodigy eh" Zaraki said, his grin widening.

Yoruichi rose to the challenge "It was the 2nd Division who found him and backed him through the academy, he's come to us every time he needed extra training" she stuck out her tongue at the two other captains, earning a glare from them both "Sorry boys, he's mine"

The Sotaicho stamped his huge walking stick into the floor, the impact making the other captains flinch "Silence, enough of this foolishness" he starred at the three of them until they backed down "For know we will wait until these students have recovered, and shall pass them all with full honours for their bravery. I assume they have all passed the grade to graduate?"

"They have Sotaicho" Unohana clarified.

"Aikawa-Taicho" Yamamoto called "Assemble three squads of your most elite Shinigami and send them to the site, thoroughly search the area for any remaining Hollows and cleanse them"

"As you wish Sotaicho"

"Unohana-Taicho" the Commander continued "Make the care of those students your top priority, get them back on their feet"

"Of course Sotaicho"

"And the rest of you" he added "Until they have fully healed none of you are allowed near them" he leaned forward "Especially Uzumaki Naruto"

------

He woke up to be reintroduced to a white ceiling and pristine, yet very drab walls, a constant beeping from a heart monitor assaulted his ears, giving him a headache worse than the day after he went out and got plastered with Ikkaku last week.

He sighed, in the medical wing of the 4th Division again. For a moment he relaxed in the comfortable bed, wondering how he got here this time. Overdid it in training again? Got whacked on the head too hard again? Maybe he finally gave in to temptation and peeped into the girl's showers, maybe he got caught…Nah.

As he rolled onto his side it all came rushing back to him in a mass of barely coherent images. He shot up in bed, looking around the large wing for any sign of his friends. It was a large ward, a room with six beds, three on either side with bedside tables and a mass of medical equipment. Each bed was covered from his view by a simple white curtain.

"Ah you're awake"

He turned to see Unohana glide into the room, wearing her standard Shihakusho and Captains Haori. She walked up to Naruto and with her hand gently pushed him back into a lying position.

"Hold still" she said softly "Or you'll open up those wounds"

He looked up at her questioningly, and then took a peep under his bedding, thankful that he still had a pair of boxer shorts on. His abdomen was tightly tapped up with white bandages.

"The wound was deep" she explained, pulling up a chair and taking a seat beside the bed, eyeing him with a little relief "If you had suffered those injuries when you were alive then you would have died"

"I see" he said, more to himself than to the Captain "Thank you, Unohana Nee-san"

"Not to worry" she stated "You've been coming into my ward so often that the nurses are considering making you our official mascot"

He laughed, and then flinched when he felt a stab of pain in his abdomen "Don't make me laugh, please"

Then he remembered Temari in a pool of blood, Shikamaru thrown aside like a ragdoll, Ikkaku buried under rubble, Yumichika lying in a heap, and then he remembered Sakura, slowly being crushed under the vicelike grip of the Hollows muscled tail.

"What about the others" he asked suddenly "Are they alright?"

"Thanks to you" she replied "It was touch and go for a while, but all of them are now stable"

He sunk into his bed, breathing a sigh of relief "Can I see them?"

"Temari-kun is in intensive care, and your friend Shikamaru-kun hasn't left her side for a while" she eyed his worried expression for a moment "But Sakura-kun can see visitors"

"Where is she?"

He heard a rustle and turned to see Sakura pull aside the curtain to the bed next to him. Wearing a simple but comfortable hospital robe, she flung her legs over the side of her bed so she could sit up and face him.

Seeing the two of them stare at each other Unohana took that as her queue and silently left the room, allowing the two old friends a measure of time alone. Naruto and Sakura didn't notice. They just kept starring at each other. Finally she broke the starring match and sighed.

"I got saved by you again" she said sadly "It doesn't seem to matter what world we're in, does it?"

"Sakura-chan" Naruto started "You did more than you're fair share. You saved Temari from death. You backed us up when we faced them, heck you memorized and caste binding spells I don't know yet"

She snorted softly "That's a lie and you know it"

"No it isn't" Naruto said lightly, swinging his legs over his bed so he was sitting up, he then made to rise to his feet "You know what you're problem is?"

"What" she asked testily.

"It's that you always think you're weaker than others" he said, leaning over so that their faces were but a few inches apart, she could feel his warm breath on her face as he talked "Even when you proved yourself in the living world. Killing an Akatsuki, finding cures for supposedly incurable poisons, saving countless lives with your unique abilities. Even when you do all this you still think you're useless. Let me tell you something Sakura, you're not, not by a long shot"

"Naruto" she breathed, unsure of what to think.

"Let me tell you something else" he continued "There's no one else that I'd rather have by my side in a fight than you, Sakura-chan"

The silence was almost palpable "…Naruto"

"Hmm" he asked.

"Close your eyes"

He looked at her incredulously, sighed and did as he was told "What are you pla-"

He felt soft lips close around his, and opened his eyes wide, Sakura was kissing him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were loosely shut and the tentative touch of her lips against his left him bewildered. Then his senses caught up with him, and just a moment before any doubt began to linger in her mind he wrapped his arms around her slender frame, and leaned forward.

He sealed her lips in a kiss of his own, this one more demanding than her timid advance, she gave in, opening her mouth slightly to let his tongue circle hers. Her breathing hitched and a delicate moan escaped from her throat. Finally they pulled back slightly, gasping for breath.

Starring at him longingly, still wrapped in his arms, Sakura whispered his name between her intakes of breath. Their mouths sealed across each other again, and as he leaned forward Sakura leaned back, allowing him to carefully set her on the bed.

Gently he pulled on her white gown, bearing her slender shoulder and neck. He kissed the pulse of her throat, drinking it in, and was rewarded by a minor wheeze of breath from his partner. He then traced his lips down her neck, his hands gently pulling at the clasp which kept her robe tightly secured around her form. With a slight tug it came undone, and he rained kisses down her chin, neck, and down the valley between her breasts, the swells still partially hidden under the soft fabric of her robe. This was met with a small series of barely audible gasps.

"Naruto" she whimpered.

He leaned back and looked down at her. Her shoulder length pink hair had spread across the white pillow like a halo, perfectly mapping her pale face and reddened cheeks. He tilted his face towards hers and kissed her again, she wrapped her arms around his, pressing against him so that he could feel every swell, touch and curve of her body.

To Naruto she felt so soft, so smooth that he longed to explore further. So he leaned back just enough to gently pull off the ruffled and loose hospital robe. Careful not to put too much weight on her flat, bandaged belly. She went with the flow, making no move to stop him.

------

She didn't listen in, she didn't need too. The turmoil of emotions coming from that room was more than enough to tell her what was going on. The sudden feminine moan, which was slightly louder than intended, didn't hurt her hypothesis much either.

She knew that she should end what was happening in there before it got out of hand, but stopped. They needed this, much more than either of them cared to admit. So she would give them a pass, just this once. But she didn't want anyone to walk in on them, so she gently closed the doors, tiptoed to the nearest equipment store and returned with a sign, hanging it over the door handle.

It simply read 'Cleaning in Progress'

Taking a step back, satisfied that her time playing cupid had come to an end, she turned around elegantly and walked down the corridor. It was the middle of the day, and she had rounds to complete.

* * *

**I did a little thinking about this story, and I want to try some trailing into new territory, just to see if I can do it, hopefully not to the point where I need to change the rating to M-rated. Probably have to though with this chapter and the next one lol. A****nd the winner of the Zanpakuto poll was Kazerasshu with over 50 of the 84 votes, Kitsonimaru came second with 30. Thank you to everyone who voted and hope you keep reading the story. **


	9. Captains

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Captains**_

_Music_

_Morning; Naruto OST, Naruto's Daily Life; Naruto OST, Sexiness; Naruto OST, Raw Breath of Danger; Bleach OST_

He awoke to look upon one of the gentlest sights he had ever seen in his life. Barely a few millimetres from his face was Sakura's, her mouth slightly open, taking in and releasing breaths of air in barely heard sighs, her emerald eyes closed, her face was serene. He was lying on the bed, his girl (never thought he would say that) snuggled against his side, an arm over his broad chest, a leg bent up over his thigh and his shoulder being used as a pillow for her head.

The white sheets of the hospital bed covered their naked forms up to their shoulders, and he marvelled, despite how tall she was, how small and fragile she seemed when her form was pressed against his. During the last few years of his life he had gone through a phenomenal growth spurt, towering over her by a head when he turned twenty.

His thoughts were thrown from his mind when she moved in her sleep, pressing her body closer to his. He could feel the smooth skin of her leg and the swell of her breasts against his side, so soft. Trying not to move and wake her he cranked his head to the large open window, getting a look at the position of the sun in the sky…midday.

He needed to get up, they needed to get up. He looked at her serene expression, her lips now curving up to form a rueful smile.

"You wanna get up?"

She creaked open an emerald eye, closed it again and shook her head "Mm-mm"

"We'll have to eventually" he pointed out with a whisper into the shell of her ear.

"Still no" she replied sleepily "We're injured, it's okay if we sleep for a couple of days"

"Sorry to disappoint you" he said softly, raising the quilt just a fraction "But making love to me comes with a few benefits"

She creaked open an eye, looking at him incredulously "What kind of benefits?"

"Do you feel anymore pain" he asked.

She relaxed and her eyes shot open, no, she didn't feel anymore pain, not even a tingle. She pulled up the sheets, and made to undo the bandages covering her abdomen, it only took her a few moments, and when she finished there was no wound, no cuts or bruises, not even a scratch, her abdomen was just as flawless as it ever was.

"You still have it" she whispered.

"The healing abilities yes" he said with a nod "My wounds had mostly healed when I woke up, and during our…well…bonding, my rietsu merged with yours"

She traced a finger down her body, her healer's hands checking her ribs and muscles which had been bruised or cracked during the battle, and found that they had all been restored to full health. From a medical standpoint she was healthier than she had been in years. Naruto propped himself up on his elbows and looked her up and down.

"What" she asked, suddenly feeling a little uneasy, she raised her hands to cover her chest and relied on the bed sheets to cover up her lower body.

"You look like a goddess from one of those old myths" he stated softly.

She gave a mock huff "Flattery will get you no where"

She held onto her fake mood swing for a few moments, before diving at him with a laugh, grabbing his shoulder and leaning against him "That does it. We're doing this every night"

He leaned in close to her, his mouth just inches from the shell of her ear "Why wait, ready for a second round?"

She reached out and tapped him in the forehead with her index finger. She then snuggled against him. Wrapping an arm around his chest and crossing her legs over his "Just hold me for a few more minutes"

In response he rolled to face her, wrapped his lean muscled arms around her slender frame and pulled her too him, her head pillowed against his chest as she nodded in and out between sleep and reality. She fell asleep a few minutes after, a gentle snoring giving her away.

It was another two hours before they decided that they could not trouble Unohana any longer, and with a sigh the two got up and made to garb themselves with spare sets of student uniforms which the wise captain had left for them. As she finished putting on her clothes and making herself presentable she felt a pair of strong arms embrace her from behind, and a breath of air against her neck which made her shiver in a very good way.

"Alright" she giggled "Enough of the romantic…mm…gestures"

She ducked out of his embrace and opened the door to the hallway beyond, pushing him out onto the corridor. A couple of nurses passed the two by, bowing respectfully and moved on, trying to stifle a fit of giggling. Their cheeks flushed, but they sucked it up and moved on.

"Wanna see how Temari's doing?"

"Yeah"

------

He ran across the rooftops of the Seireitei like a speed demon, the only hints of his passage to those in the streets below was the brief surge of his powerful rietsu and the subtle ringing of the small bells braided into his spiked black hair. Grinning like a madman Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the 11th Imperial Court Guard Division, also known as Soul Societies premier Combat Division, blurred from rooftop to rooftop, taking small bounds every time the rooftop ended in a fall to a street.

The captain was something of an anomaly. Usually there was only two ways to become a Captain in the Goteijusantai, either seat the Captains Examination in the presence of the Captain-Commander and another two Captains, or gain personal recommendations from at least six captains and approval from at least three others. Zaraki gained his position from a loophole in the system, an unofficial third way. He killed the former Captain of 11th in the presence of at least two hundred guardsmen, and he did it without knowing the name of his Zanpakuto.

Since he gained the position some three years ago he had thoroughly changed his company, removing several seated officers whom he considered unworthy of their position and replacing them. Every year he looked for new individuals with a warrior's heart and pride for his squad. This Uzumaki Naruto was just what he was looking for.

"Ken-chan"

He looked to the sky to see a little bundle of black clothing and pink hair land on his right shoulder. There was a rustle and a little, pink cheeked face popped over his shoulder to look him in the eyes, a little innocent grin on her face.

"Ken-chan" his Lieutenant cried out in her usual happy voice "Good morning!!"

"Yo" he replied, leaping over another open space and landing on the roof at the far side.

"Are you going after that little blonde kid" she asked with a laugh.

"You bet" he said with a grin "He destroyed four unknown Hollows by himself, if he can put a scratch on me then I may want him in my squad"

"But Ken-chan you already got baldy and Yami" she pointed out with a pout "Ken-chan is getting greedy!"

"Ah shut up" he replied, yet his voice had no malice in it "It's just one hell of a group coming in this year"

She laughed again.

"Right, now which way to the hospital" he thought out loud.

"Oh, oh" she hooted "That way, that way!"

Instinctively he changed direction, according to his little juvenile Vice-Captains directions. It wouldn't be until later that he found out that the hospital was in the opposite direction.

------

He sighed "When will he learn not to follow the directions of a toddler?"

"Not sure Taicho"

The two stood two hundred meters above the ground, watching the small dust storm of wind which signalled the Captain of the 11th Divisions passage. Shinji took one look at the direction, turned back to the hospital and started to laugh, holding onto his sides when it seemed he was about to fall.

"The fool isn't even going the right way" he sputtered "This is going to be easier than I thought"

"There's still Yoruichi-Taicho" Aizen reminded, pointing down to the streets below them. Hirako looked down to see the said captain stroll down the stone paved roads at a leisurely pace, her 3rd Seated Assistant Adjutant in tow.

"Oh damn, I forgot about them" he looked up at the sun, then back down to the large set of structures which were the 4th Divisions barracks and hospital wings "Well then, we just have to be quick"

With that said he vanished in a blur, using his _Shunpo (Flash Step) _technique to cover great distances within seconds. Aizen looked in the direction of the hospital, sensed his captain above it and quickly Flash Stepped after him. He needed to gauge the boy's ability, and that would be easier if he was in the same squad.

------

Kisuke paused and looked up at the sky in time to see a small figure disappear in a blur, by his spiritual pressure he guessed that it was the Vice-Captain of 5th Division, Sosuke Aizen, and wherever he was his Captain must have been close by.

"You sensed them too huh?"

"More or less" he answered his captain.

Yoruichi looked in the direction of the hospital and flashed a feline grin "This is going to be interesting. I should have known Shinji would go after him considering what he said at the meeting, and by the fluctuating Spiritual Pressure I'd say Zaraki and his terrible sense of direction is looking for the kid as well"

Urahara nodded, he had sensed the usual, out of control rietsu of the Combat Division Captain as well, but could tell that he was far away, and getting farther. He must have been relying on Yachiru to guide him again, last time he tried that he ended up in the western 60th District of the Rukongai.

"Shouldn't we speed up Yoruishi-san"

"Not san" the feline captain replied with mock hurt "Call me Yoruichi-sama, or Yoruichi-kami!"

"Uh, I don't think so, no" Kisuke replied after a moments thought, earning a mock glare from his captain and close friend.

"There's no need to worry" she stated after a moment "And there's no need to rush…buy me some ramen Kisuke"

"Huh"

"Naruto got me into it" she stated with a happy sigh "The salmon special, got to be the best!"

"But" her 3rd Seated officer stuttered "Don't we have some pressing matters to attend to, like saving Naruto from the 11th and 5th companies"

"Ramen, Kisuke" she ordered, looking at him with narrowing golden eyes.

"But-"

"Ramen, Kisuke" she repeated.

The straw haired man sighed and reached into the robes for his wallet "Alright, alright"

------

It turned out that while they were frolicking in the spare medical ward Temari had been stabilised and moved from intensive care to one of the single bedrooms scattered across the 4th Divisions barracks. They entered the room to see her propped up into a sitting position by pillows, starring venomously at Shikamaru, who was in the middle of eating a basket of fruit.

"Hey" Naruto called as they entered, raising a hand in greeting.

Shikamaru did likewise, his hand holding onto a half eaten apple "Hey, come over here and help me finish this"

"What's going on" Sakura asked, taking an orange from the basket.

"This jerk brought in the basket and started eating it in front of me" Temari growled in anger, making a grasp for the apple Shikamaru was eating. The Nara moved his hand deftly, dodging her grasping fingers.

Sakura looked at the orange and tossed it over to Temari, who instinctively raised her hand and caught it "Thank you"

"You're welcome" Sakura replied with a smile, she then reeled round and smacked Shikamaru in the back of the head.

"Hey" he whined "What was that fo…owe!"

Her smack was followed by Naruto's hand, which hit him with twice the force "Don't taunt the lady"

Temari smiled and then proceeded to peel the orange. The four friends ate in silence, enjoying each others company and silently thanking the higher powers that they had all survived to fight another day.

After finishing his banana the former Hokage rose to his feet "Sorry to leave, but I need to report to Unohana nee-san that the hospital room we used is free"

"I'll go with you" Sakura chimed, rising from her chair and sending a glare at Shikamaru "Don't tease her anymore, she's injured!"

"I was only kidding" the Nara muttered before tossing a pear Temari's way.

"And if you guys are planning to rut like a couple of rabbits please lock the door" Naruto added with a snigger, the two looked at him in both realisation that they had been found out and shock that he said it so simply.

"Damn you Naruto" Shikamaru roared "I had a feeling someone was watching!!!"

He flinched, somehow that made him sound like a pervert "I-I-I-I did no such thing, I was just passing through" upon their murderous glares he gulped "I rushed out of there before it got to adult, what more do you want from me!!?"

"That explains the three cold showers you took before heading to the class" Sakura piped up in realisation.

"Sakura-chan" Naruto sputtered, taking a few steps back toward the door "You're not helping!"

------

"He's in room 302, sir" the little brunette said behind the reception desk, pointing to the corridor "Down the hall, take the stairs to the third floor…should I inform Unohana-taicho that you'll be visiting, Hirako-taicho?"

"No, no" Shinji jested, waving off the nurses question "It's a surprise visit"

The nurse raised an eyebrow, shrugged and continued with the small stack of paperwork. Shinji took that as his chance, and walked purposefully down the corridor, Aizen flanking him.

"Why didn't you just tell her you wanted to see Uzumaki-kun" Aizen asked.

"Because the old man gave strict orders no one was to see him" Shinji replied, an evil smile on his face.

His Vice-Captain sighed "And you're still going because"

"Getting that kid into my squad is more important than a twenty hour lecture" Hirako replied, quickening his step "Now where are the stairs?"

------

"Um, where was her office again" Naruto muttered to himself, drawing an exasperated sigh from Sakura.

"You don't know?"

"Nope"

Another sigh, before she grabbed his hand and hauled him down the corridor "Then go and ask reception, it's what they're there for!"

Naruto let her drag him along, enjoying the silky soft skin of her hand. Suddenly he saw a closed storeroom door, and had an idea. He stopped and changed direction, Sakura nearly falling on her butt from the sudden force. He opened the door and dragged her inside.

"Naruto" Sakura asked in annoyance "What are you-…mm?"

He closed the door and sealed his lips over her mouth, silencing any further protest as his tongue entered her mouth and started a wrestling match with hers. Taken by surprise she staggered, her back pressing against the empty wall at the back of the small, cramped storage space.

She only needed a minute, then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss, his hands at her hips, steadying her as they gave into the passion which suddenly coursed through their bodies. He lifted her off the floor, using the back wall to keep her from falling. In response she wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles around the small of his back.

Subconsciously Naruto reached into his mind and pulled up a protective bubble around them, stopping their rietsu from leaking out and giving their position away when they really got down to the good stuff. A little Kido trick Kisuke showed him, originally designed to keep one hidden from targets and Hollows. The only problem was, with Sakura so receptive, was he going to be able to keep his mind sane enough for it to remain active.

The worry left his mind as Sakura gave off a sensual moan, such a beautiful symphony to his ears that he yearned to hear more of them. The only problem was that the bubble was designed to keep the rietsu from being noticed, it did nothing for sounds.

Little did the two lovebirds know that Shinji and Sosuke had just passed the storeroom, oblivious to their targets location "Okay, that last one was room 389" Shinji muttered "Why is this hospital so damn huge!?"

------

When Soi Fon had been reassigned to Yoruichi Shihoin's honour guard she had been thrilled beyond measure. Finally all of her hard work had been paid off, to be approved and assigned to the personal guard of the 2nd Division Captain was an honour beyond measure for anyone in the Stealth force. The only thing better was to become one of the top five seated officers in the division.

She remembered her first meeting with the woman, and how her friendly and laidback attitude had put her off guard, she had been put even more out of her comfort zone when she demanded that Soi Fon skip the formalities and just call her by her first name.

That was six months ago, and since then she saw Yoruichi as an older sister, a figurehead and role model she was more than happy to follow. She would happily give her life for Yoruichi Shihoin and not be regretful.

But she was not sure about this mission she had been assigned, find a young man named Naruto Uzumaki and keep him away from any captains until she and Kisuke arrived at the scene. She frowned, how could this Naruto be so important to Yoruichi-sama that she'd want to keep him away from any Captain level Shinigami, and how was she going to be able to do that?

She continued to walk, her eyes glued to the piece of paper she had received, not noticing as Captain Shinji and his Lieutenant walked past her. She kept walking, passing by a small storeroom.

"…mm….kyah"

Was that a gasp? Must have been her imagination

"Oh…oooh"

There it was again, she stopped and looked around, seeing only an empty hallway.

"Oh god" the voice was barely a whisper, and it sounded like a rasp, but Soi Fon knew that it was female, and it came from nearby. Was she in pain? Was she in trouble?

"Yes, right there"

She spun around, it was coming from the storeroom, but the voice didn't seem to be in pain. It seemed happy, almost euphoric.

"Oh god, don't stop, don't…ahhhhh!"

The cry got her attention and, holding onto the hilt of her sword she tiptoed up to the door and stopped, pressing the side of her head against the wood to listen in better. She heard a thumping sound, a continuous thumping sound, two voices, gasping away could just be made out.

It wasn't like they were hurting each other, not at all. In fact it sounded like something familiar…something like…she froze, her cheeks taking on a trace of pink when she realised what she was listening into. She went stark upright, turned around and rushed down the corridor, wherever this Naruto was, it sure as hell wasn't here!

------

Her back arched and she raised her hand to her mouth to muffle her cry of ecstasy. This was only the second time she and Naruto had made love, and already he knew every sensitive spot on her body, and exactly how to stimulate them. His hands were like those of a master musician playing his instrument. His every touch was butterfly soft and masterfully used.

She slid down the wall, gasping for breath like she had run a marathon. Her lover nearly collapsed onto her bare chest, his rasping breath against her soft skin. She cupped his face with her hands and leaned forward to kiss him, when they parted she smiled.

"I don't mind doing it with you" she stated "But give me a little warning next time, okay?"

"Sure" Naruto heaved, before smirking "Ready for round three?"

She rolled her eyes and poked him in the forehead "I think I'm going to get away from you before I need to be carried out of here, my legs feel unsteady enough as it is"

She gave him one last butterfly kiss, then rose and began straightening out her clothes for the second time today. Naruto sighed, got up and did the same, but not before placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

------

"I don't believe it, we walk a mile up these god damned steps just to find out he's not in his bloody room anymore!!!"

Shinji Hirako was incensed. He was more than incensed, he was downright furious. He stalked down the corridor, his lieutenant having to jog to keep up with him. He had taken a big risk coming here to try and recruit Naruto Uzumaki, if the Sotaicho found out about this then there would be hell to pay, and worst of all he wouldn't benefit from it, at all.

"What will you do now Hirako-taicho?"

"Aizen you fool" Shinji roared "What do you think. We have to find him before that idiot Zaraki does. I will not lose a student to that overgrown, overly scarred masochist!!!"

Sosuke sighed. The captain could be an incredibly immature man when he wanted to be. Just last week he nearly got himself killed when he made a face at the commander behind his back.

"Come on you fool keep up with me" Hirako growled "Lets go back to reception and see if he's been moved to another room!"

He stalked down the corridor and down the stairs, Aizen hot on his heels. Just as he vanished the storeroom door opened and two heads popped out to check the surrounding hallway for any witnesses. When they were sure that the coast was clear they walked out of the store. Flashing a glowing smile Sakura leaned up and pecked Naruto on the cheek, before walking purposefully down the corridor. Naruto starred after her, and then went on his own way.

Naruto took the same route, humming a happy tune. Then stopped, he had left Kazerasshu in his hospital room, turning around he walked down the corridor.

------

"I see it"

The 4th Divisions barracks was right in front of him now, a huge set of buildings which oozed of steriliser and a mass of medicines. Grinning Kenpachi Zaraki ran straight for the main courtyard, the wind whipping up his torn and tattered white Captain's haori, his unnamed Zanpakuto held in his hand, blade leaning against his shoulder.

"Yay" Yachiru cheered "Ken-chan finally found it"

Suddenly Kenpachi's grin faltered and he skidded to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, looking around at the structures. Yachiru climbed across his shoulder and looked the battle scarred captain in the eyes, which were shadowed as he looked down at the cobblestone path.

"Ken-chan what's wrong?"

Zaraki didn't look at her, answering "I hate hospitals"

"Huh?"

------

Kazerasshu dangled from the strap attached to its katana, the Zanpakuto swaying too and froe from the movements. Naruto whistled a happy tune as he strolled down the stairs towards the reception to check himself out.

"Naruto-kun" he turned to see a nurse creep up to him, a small file in her hand.

"Hannah-chan" he greeted. The young nurse was one of several he knew around the hospital during his sojourns, she had looked after him when he nearly got his hand cut off in second year, and treated his second degree burns in third year. She was a sweet young woman, petite with long auburn hair tied up in a long ponytail.

"Hirako-Taicho of the 5th Division is causing chaos in the reception looking for you" she whispered, handing him the file and a pen "Open up to the fifth page and sign your name on the bottom. I'll let you out through a side exit!"

He opened the folder and signed his name in twelve places across nine pages. He knew the file well, it was his medical file, listing all of the accidents and medical tests he had been put through the last three years, unsurprisingly with all his injuries during the academy it was pretty thick. He signed his name one last time before snapping it shut and handing it to her.

She took it, winked at him and pointed down the hall "Last door on the right"

"I owe you one Hannah-chan" Naruto replied gratefully before taking off down the corridor.

"Buy me a drink the next time you see me in a bar" she called after him.

"Will do" he called back with a wave as he ran down the corridor.

------

"Where are you?"

The ring of a bell in the wind

"How strong are you?"

Another ring as the winds picked up

He stood on the roof of the 4th Division headquarters, the winds tugging at his ragged captain's haori and ringing the bells braided into his spiked black hair. He was in a crouch. His rugged, heavily scarred features distorted into a smile, his sword leaned against his shoulder.

Then he came, climbing out of a side window that led into the main courtyard.

"I found you" he whispered with a grin "Uzumaki Naruto!"

**Another chapter, I am on a role. **_**(Note: Formalities are a very important aspect of Japanese society, being able to call a person by their first name with no honorific's attached means a level of intimacy, like friends, best friends, lovers etc.)(You guys know this, just reminding you) Made in relation to Soi Fon's remarks.**_


	10. Descend, ye Demon of the Bloody Sword

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Descent ye Demon of the Bloody Sword**_

_Music_

_Enemy Unseen; Bleach OST, Heat of the Battle; Bleach OST_

The central courtyard was a serene setting, thin paths of tanned stone spread like veins through small islands of healthy green grass. Rows of sakura trees lined the islands, their pink petals falling in droves onto the ground. Naruto climbed out the window, landed in a crouch and looked around, breathing in the scent of the surrounding plants and sighing happily. It was good to be out of that hospital. Standing up, shoving his hands into his pockets he strolled onto one of the tanned stone paths and walked towards the large gates leading from the 4th Division barracks to the main streets.

The ring of a bell

He stopped, feeling an incredibly powerful spiritual pressure, so strong that it felt like its raw power was trying to crush him. There was something more. There was something extra to this spiritual pressure that brought a bone tingling chill to him. It was intent to kill, just by feeling it he felt like a blade was against his throat.

Another ring

"Are you the one?"

He looked up to see a darkened silhouette crouched on the roof of the main building, looking down at him. He couldn't see this mans eyes, but he felt his unbridled, blood thirsty joy.

Another ring

"What's wrong with you" the voice came from behind him "How long are you going to stare at that empty space?"

He spun around to see a tall figure leaning against the trunk of the closest sakura tree, the shadows spread from the branches above concealing his upper body. The man was at least seven feet tall and heavily muscular, his hair was long and spiked and his clothes, a pair of Shinigami robes with a haori were torn and ripped in several places. A sword was in his hand, the serrated blade leaning against his side.

His form gave a surreal, deadly aura in stark contrast to the serene surroundings. He took a step forward, and the shadows left his upper body to show his features. His face was long and rugged with an eye patch tightly secured over his left eye. His skin was tanned and crisscrossed with scars. The man looked like one of those berserker soldiers of old legend, a warrior whose only purpose was to find and kill opponents.

Instinctively he took a step back "Who are you?"

The captain's mouth formed into a malicious grin "Captain of the thirteen Imperial Court Guard Divisions, 11th Division, Kanpachi Zaraki"

"What do you want with me?"

The grin seemed to widen, if that was even possible. His rietsu flared, becoming visible, encompassing his form in twisted yellow light, the light flickering in the air as if it were flames of some malevolent fire. He felt the killer intent in the spiritual pressure, so much so that the chill in his bones dropped by a few more degrees. For but a moment he swore he could see the huge form of a yellow skull hanging above the man, it was only for a moment.

"To fight"

He was in front of Naruto then, his sword held high over his head for a downward stroke. Instinctively he grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto and drew it, bringing the blade up just in time to block. The strength behind the stroke was so powerful that it created a crater at the blonde's feet. Body shivering, teeth clenched, Naruto could barely hold back the combat captains sword.

"Not bad" Zaraki grinned "Good instincts, descent stance, not bad spiritual pressure either"

Naruto jumped back several feet "What the hell are you doing!?"

The captain smirked, raising his sword from the ground and pointing it at him "I'm putting you through a special entrance examination for my squad"

"Huh" Naruto looked at him like he had just escaped from a madhouse.

"I hear you have skills" Kenpachi said with a grin "I want to see if it's true or just a load of bull"

He swung his sword, forcing Naruto to bring his up to block, the two blades met with a screeching clank, the force behind Zaraki's swing sending the blonde skidding to the side by a few feet. He grunted. The strike had so much physical power behind it that it jarred his sword arm.

Desperately he bated the blade away, and went on the offensive, swinging his sword at the larger man in controlled swings and stabs, which Zaraki countered with little to no effort. Finally he got an opening, feinting a high attack he changed the direction of his swing to a diagonal stroke. It should have sliced a shallow slash wound across his chest. But it didn't, the blade didn't even nick him. It struck his skin and stopped, almost like it hit a suit of armour instead of unprotected flesh.

"Is that all" Kenpachi asked, disappointment in his face "I expected better from you kid"

"What the hell"

"It won't work Blondie"

He looked up to see the youthful features of a little girl, no more than five or six years old, leaping onto Kenpachi's shoulder and standing there like a parrot. She looked down at him and smiled an innocent smile.

"Ken-chan's spiritual pressure is so dense that it protects him, only spiritual pressure honed to a razor sharp edge can hurt him" she leaned forward "But yours is all fuzzy, you're scared of him, and as long as you're afraid of Ken-chan you can't cut him"

"Aren't you talkative today" Zaraki said, swinging his sword up to rest against his free shoulder "But she's right. I expected better from a supposed prodigy, at least last long enough to clear the rust of this thing"

He brought his Zanpakuto down upon Naruto, who jumped just out of its reach. As the sword hit the ground it sent an explosion of dirt and released rietsu into the air. He hit the ground and skidded across the courtyard to a halt, their little fight was gaining attention. He needed to get away from here before someone got hurt.

He spun around and broke out in a run, rushing through the entrance to the main street. Kenpachi watched him go and sighed "Running huh, how boring"

------

The explosion caught the attention of many. In the wards and corridors patients and medical staff seemed ready to panic. The only thing stopping them from doing so was the half dozen squads of armed 4th Division soldiers rushing through the corridors in columns. But it only just stopped them from panicking, out of all the squads the 4th wasn't known for its combat ability.

At the reception both Aizen and Hirako turned around, eyes wide as they felt the incredibly powerful spike of spiritual pressure emanate from the front. That could only mean one thing. That 11th Division captain had finally found the hospital, and from the blood thirsty glee they felt he had also found his target.

"Damn" Shinji cursed silently and vanished from view with a quick Shunpo. Sosuke was a split second behind him, leaving behind a confused reception nurse in they're wake.

------

In her private quarters Retsu Unohana looked up from her cup of herbal green tea, frowning as the tremors subsided. She carefully set her cup on the short legged table and rose to her feet. She needed to investigate this.

------

Shikamaru looked up at the swinging light, frowning "Did you guys hear that?"

"We aren't paralysed" Temari replied "Of course we felt that"

Sakura didn't answer. She knew on instinct that something was wrong. She couldn't tell how but she felt it in her very bones. Something was wrong, seriously wrong.

------

He ran down the street as fast as he possibly could, upper body leaning forward, arms behind him, feet almost a blur. He felt the deadly rietsu of his pursuer, the blade still held firmly against his throat, like some unseen enemy was waiting for the perfect moment to make the final, decisive strike. He turned a corner and rushed up the road, finally coming to what in his opinion was as good a battleground as any.

The path opened up into a large, empty courtyard, white tiles covered the ground, the usual storey high building stretched out into a square. It was open ground, no where to hide or to run, but it also meant that his enemy couldn't sneak up on him, though from the crushing spiritual pressure he guessed that wasn't his opponents intension. His opponents intension was to hunt him like a wolf prowling for a stray sheep, he wanted to corner Naruto, wound him, kill him and dissect him.

He was being chased by a captain-class Shinigami, the famed Kenpachi Zaraki no less. He had heard the stories, how he was undefeatable, how he couldn't be cut. Naruto felt a hairsbreadth away from outright panic, and berated himself for feeling such fear. He had faced seemingly 'impossible to beat' enemies before, what was the difference with this one? The fact that his rietsu was enough to make Pein look like a child wielding a stick was probably a good start.

"_What's the matter with you?"_

_He was swallowed inside a black abyss. He felt like he was falling, an unnatural wind howled at his ears, overrunning his senses and making him grit his teeth in pain. Suddenly his feet landed on solid ground and he stood on his dreamscape once again. He wasn't standing on the Hokage stone faces this time. He stood just outside the great wooden gates which served as the main entrance through the hidden villages battlements. _

_He walked through the gates, feeling uncomfortable with the lack of colour in his inner world, every building, battlement, tree, bush and piece of stone was shaded in blacks, whites and greys. It was almost depressing. He walked past the guard post, expecting to see a duo of Konoha Chuunin standing guard, nobody was there. As he walked through the streets he found that there was no one in the village at all, not one person walked the cobbled streets. The entire area was deserted of any life besides his own._

_He followed the path to the centre of the village, where the central building, overshadowed by the great stone faces of the mighty Hokage stood proud and tall above all the other single, double and triple storey buildings. But he stopped, feeling something tug at his being. He changed direction, going down a lesser known path to him. Ten minutes of walking and he was standing before the gates of the Uchiha residence. He felt revulsion at seeing that crest. Every Uchiha he had ever met turned out to be a traitor, a liar and a cold blooded killer._

_It was the last of the Uchiha who burned Konoha to the ground, the world was better off without them. His thoughts were dark, but he knew that they were well deserved. He followed his instincts and took a step through the wooden gates into the compound, fighting back his wish to turn around and never set foot in this place again. He walked down the main street, passing by simple wooden houses and family owned stores, the Uchiha compound was a small village in and off itself, able to survive independently from the main village if the need ever arose. _

_He stopped and looked upon the main house of the clan, the place where the clan leader and his family lived. The place the likes of Itachi and Sasuke called home. He took a deep breath, calmed himself and walked up to the front entrance, gently pushing open the sliding door and entering the house. He walked through the hallway, into the kitchen and out into the back garden, looking solemnly at the grey grass and the empty fish pond. He followed the wooden passage leading around the house, finally coming to a set of double doors. He reached out and opened them._

_Inside was a simple, if somewhat large, storeroom, completely empty of the food and equipment it most likely used to contain. Standing beside the outhouses only window was his Zanpakuto. Kazerasshu did not acknowledge Naruto's presence until he entered the store and closed the door behind him._

"_Ah you found me" his Zanpakuto said after a moment of silence "Good, your sensing abilities are more advanced than you give yourself credit for"_

"_It's not the place I would have chosen" Naruto said, a little vehemence in his voice._

"_Which is why I chose it" Kazerasshu replied, facing his wielder "Why do you run?"_

"_Excuse me"_

"_Why do you run from him, you know that unless you face him he will never stop chasing you" when Naruto did not answer right away he continued "Are you afraid of death?"_

"_I wasn't afraid of him because I could die facing him" Naruto replied "I wanted to get him away from that hospital"_

"_An animal he may be" his Zanpakuto rebuked mildly "But a mindless killer he is not, he has no interest in that hospital, he only has interest in you"_

"_But why"_

"_He is a man who lives off of battle and death. It is in his blood, it flows through his veins, and it crawls under his skin. He sees a challenge in you. That is all"_

"_He's a captain"_

"_He does not know the name of his Zanpakuto, and your spiritual pressure is enough to match him" he took a step forward "Hold your ground, stand steady, sword in your hands. Meet him with pride, the pride of the Uzumaki, the pride of the Namikaze, the pride of a Hokage!"_

He took a deep cleansing breath and opened his eyes. His oceanic orbs glowed with barely contained rietsu.

"Stopped running huh?" he turned to see Kenpachi enter the courtyard, a grin on his face "Have you finally decided to stand and fight"

"Sorry for the delay" he smiled. In a smooth motion he drew Kazerasshu from its sheath, and held out the blade in front of him, he closed his eyes, felt the raw power emanating from the sword. A hand settled on his shoulder, his Zanpakuto floating mere millimetres behind him.

"_Do you see?"_

Naruto looked up with eyes imbued with rietsu.

"_You have one advantage. He does not know the name of his sword, he can't even hear him"_

Holding onto that small smile he ran his free hand along the blade of his Zanpakuto and called out the incantation "Descend, Kazerasshu!"

Zaraki looked at the released form of the kid's sword. The hilt was long and thin. The blade was at least a meter in length, and its design brought a savage grin to his face, it was designed to maim and kill, maybe the kid was worthy of his squad after all. He threw his head back and laughed his delight to the world.

"Brilliant" he crowed "Excellent, I can feel the determination flowing off you boy. You might just be a challenge after all!"

He soared forward, his unnamed sword held out in front of him, in response Naruto broke out into a run, his sword held in front of him, his eyes not even blinking at the mad captain's approach. The two blades met, and when they did a huge explosion rocked the foundations of the Soul Society.

------

"Damn what an explosion"

"Shouldn't we do something Taicho?"

He glowered at his lieutenant for a moment, before shaking his head "Nah. Let's see how long the kid lasts. If it gets too serious then we'll jump in"

Aizen nodded and brought his attention back to the fight. Outside he seemed perfectly calm, inside his mind was going through several different outcomes, no matter how unlikely. The chance of Uzumaki winning against this man was very unlikely. Even if he had the advantage of knowing the name of his sword the pure overwhelming power of Zaraki was such that in most cases it would be considered mute.

------

The sword cut diagonally across his chest, blood spurting from the recently opened wound. It was a shallow slash, not deep enough to cause any serious injury. He jumped back from the captain, noticing the drip of blood which flew from the tip of his sword as he landed. Zaraki looked down at the lesion, his face covered in shadow.

_First blood to me_ Naruto thought with rising confidence.

The madman threw his head back, laughing thunderously before setting a gleeful gaze at Naruto, in such a situation that gaze, that grin brought a chill up his spine.

"There, I knew you could do it!" Naruto looked at him in shock, he had just been cut, he was bleeding and yet he seemed so utterly joyful "But don't relax yet boy. Stay alert, stay very alert!"

With that maniacal grin he brought down his sword, and another explosion of spiritual pressure made the surrounding area shudder. In response Naruto batted his sword away and swung, connecting the two blade protrusions on his swords spine with Kenpachi's side. They bit deep, drawing blood. It didn't even slow him down. He grabbed Kazerasshu, the blade cutting his hand, stopping Naruto from backing away and with a little exertion spun it, taking Naruto with it. He then stabbed out with his sword, aiming to impale and kill.

Naruto moved his body slightly, missing the ragged blade by millimetres. It cut through his hakama, grazing his skin. He then lashed out with a foot, catching Zaraki in the chest with enough force to force him to release his sword. He used the momentum, somersaulting and coming down in a crouch. The mad captain came at him again and Naruto stabbed out with his sword.

It just caught Zaraki in the nose, the blade digging in a millimetre, he didn't stop. He continued his approach, Kazerasshu carving a gash across his left cheek. Blood spilled down his face, adding a demonic façade to that monstrous grin. Shocked by his opponent's reckless abandon he sidestepped, just missing a strike which would have cleaved him in half. He then swung his sword, slashing across his left shoulder and spilling more blood.

Kenpachi swung his sword, missing Naruto as he ducked into a crouch "I haven't had this much fun in ages!!!"

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"What do you mean" Zaraki laughed, his voice tinged with delight as he swung and stabbed with his sword, forcing Naruto to block and parry as he stepped back "Your spiritual pressure is immense, your reactions are excellent, you have enough brain power to think on your feet and create strategy in the heat of battle!" Naruto ducked another swing and used the momentum of his bent legs to jump, bringing his foot around for a roundhouse kick, he struck Zaraki in the face, snapping his head around and making him stagger back, he spat out a glob of blood "Swordsmanship is descent, your hand-to-hand is top rate…so how can you be this strong and not love fighting!!?"

_What the hell is going on!? _He thought as he slashed a deep gash along his opponents shoulder _I'm inflicting more damage than him, but I keep cutting and cutting and he just doesn't fall _he parried a straight stab and swung for Zaraki, the blade going through his left side, spilling more blood _He can't be invincible. Everything has a breaking point!_

He stabbed with his sword, cutting an incision along the mad captains abdomen. But before he could pull it free Kenpachi grabbed the blade with his bare hand again and lashed out with his Zanpakuto. It caught Naruto in the side, the only reason it didn't go through his chest was because he let go of his blade and tried to jump out of the way. Naruto balled up his fists and punched him right in the jaw. It barely slowed him down. He dropped Kazerasshu and started swinging again. The blonde fell upon all of his reflexes to dodge the sword swipes, fell into a crouch to miss a swing, dived passed him and grabbing his Zanpakuto came up to a knee, his blade held ready in his hands.

He took a breath and raised himself to his feet, watching as the 11th division captain looked up at the sky, his breath coming out in rasping gasps. He was definitely feeling his wounds now. Suddenly he started laughing again "Excellent. We're so evenly matched its difficult to tell who is stronger" he reached up to his face with his free hand "Against you I think I can fight without restraint!"

He grabbed the eye patch and pulled it from his face. Within the space of a heartbeat the spiritual pressure emanating from him increased tenfold. The pure power of it completely overwhelmed Naruto's senses and he instinctively took a step back. He knew that captains were powerful, but he had no idea.

"Damn" he whispered to himself, for a moment all he could do was watch the spectacle in awe and fascination. The yellow spiritual pressure flared as it encompassed him like wild flames, it was so dense that it burned the very ground the captain was standing on.

He caught himself on just as Kenpachi raised his sword and swung it, but it wasn't aimed at him. A massive, paper thin crack appeared along the northern wall, stretching all the way from its right to left side. For a moment nothing happened, then the top half started to slip from the bottom, he heard cracking and grinding noises as the seki seki rock keeping it connected to the west and east walls gave in under the strain. An explosion followed as the wall hit the ground, sending debris and dust into the air.

He took a step back.

"_Stand firm"_

He twisted his head round to see Kazerasshu's spirit form standing beside him, his eyes not leaving the almighty power of Kenpachi Zaraki. He turned to look Naruto in the eyes, silver orbs starring into his, leaf headband glinting from the released yellow rietsu.

"_Do you trust me?"_

"Yes" he replied with finality, this was his Zanpakuto, the extension of his soul. Not trusting him would be akin to not trusting himself.

"_Then do as I say. Hold your sword over your head and concentrate your rietsu into the blade"_

He complied; lifting the massive sword over his head and concentrated his spiritual pressure. He felt his sword sing with energy, it was a beautiful sound to his ears.

To Kenpachi the boy's rietsu flared with barely controlled energy. His form was suddenly encompassed by a fiery crimson spiritual pressure, starting at his feet as a spark which ignited, travelling up his legs and torso before splitting into his arms and head. The fire burned with an incredible intensity, and as Kenpachi looked on he saw a form appear over his head. A long sinewy snout baring rows of razor sharp, bone crushing teeth, dark abyss eyes, long pointed ears. It looked like the head of a snarling fox.

Most people would feel fear upon looking at such a thing, but Kenpachi grinned from ear to ear instead. His yellow rietsu flared up to match the sudden spike of power coming from the boy. A skull appeared over his head, eternal darkness in its eyes and open mouth "Not bad boy, are you ready!?"

Naruto took a deep breath "Ready as I'll ever be!"

Kenpachi threw his head back and laughed. He really liked this kid. Concentrating his spiritual pressure into his sword he charged forward. Blade pointed towards his target. Naruto waited, his sword held firmly over his head, his spiritual pressure stable and controlled. As the captain came within range he heard the voice of his Zanpakuto.

"_Cut!!!"_

He brought his sword down, smashing into Kenpachi's blade. The following explosion was deafening.

------

Aizen looked at the explosion with wide eyed disbelief. He knew this boy was strong but what he had just seen was far higher than even his most promising expectations. The explosion was like two separate tidal waves of spiritual pressure slamming into each other, crimson and yellow jockeying for possession.

The wind picked up and howled to the point where he expected a tornado to fall on that same spot. The western wall, the wall behind Kenpachi Zaraki gained several dozen small vein-like cracks. Then it crumbled and collapsed in a mass of debris and dust. In response the wall to the east was levelled by an incredibly powerful blast of condensed rietsu, like a great storm had hit it and folded it over as if the structure were made of paper.

"Would you look at that" his captain's voice had lost all of its humour, and was replaced by one of awe and respect "The kid really is something special"

_You have no idea_

------

The moment she felt that vast spike of spiritual pressure she knew that Kenpachi had found Naruto and the situation was bad, really bad. She shunpo'd from rooftop to rooftop with incredible speed and precision, her form wouldn't register to anyone below the rank of captains' senses as more than a split second blur.

She had left Kisuke to come at his own pace. He wouldn't have been able to keep up with her even if he wanted too. She bit her lower lip and cursed her foolishness, expecting Zaraki to get lost somewhere in the outer sectors of the soul society was just wishful thinking, she berated herself repeatedly.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Naruto was her student, she cared a great deal for him and she would be damned if that overgrown narcissist was going to kill him.

------

The wind picked up, the mass of dust which hung over the courtyard like a shroud began to dissipate, and through the shadows were two dark silhouettes. One was standing. The other was crumpled on the ground.

Zaraki looked down at Naruto for a moment, the boy was lying face down on the cracked floor, blood spewing from several deep cuts, nothing fatal though. He stood there for just a moment more, then staggered as blood exploded from several recently opened gashes. He plunged his Zanpakuto into the ground in a bid to keep himself steady, watching as a pool of blood spilled onto the rock.

Through his huffing gasps for breath he managed a weak smile "Not bad boy. Not bad at all"

He saw a blur of motion from the corner of his eye, and turned his head just as a foot connected with his face, sending him stumbling back a couple of steps. He looked up. The captain of 2nd Division, Yoruichi Shihoin, somersaulted in midair and landed on her feet, her captains haori and shoulder length purple hair flapping in the wind. She fell into a fighting stance.

He ignored her and turned around to leave, stagger here and there as he walked. Sword leaning against his shoulder he raised his free hand "I'm done with him"

She watched him go. When she was sure he had left she turned and ran to Narutos' side. Falling to her knees she rolled him over on his back and checked him over with a basic medical Kido. He was alive, but unless he got some medical treatment he wouldn't last. She used her back to lift him up and vanished with a flash towards the 4th division barracks.

She stopped on the roof of the last good wall at the courtyard, looking at the destruction wrought upon it. Three walls had collapsed, the stone ground tiles were cracked by sword gashes, burn marks and some had been shattered by the power unleashed. To force Zaraki to fight at that level was a remarkable feat.

She looked at Narutos face and shook her head in bemusement "You are one scary kid"

------

_Don't tell me_

He opened his eyes and groaned.

_Oh god, not again_

White ceiling, drab walls, window, bedside table, he was in the 4th division barracks…again.

_Forget mascot, Unohana nee-san is probably going to give me my own private room!_

"Let me see, Naruto Uzumaki, discharged 2:32pm, returned 2:50pm" he looked over to see Yoruichi standing at the bottom of his bed, holding onto a clipboard which undoubtedly had his medical information on it "I think I'll put you forward for a world record for the amount of times you enter a hospital"

"Funny" Naruto stated dryly.

"I think so" she replied, dropping the file back into the satchel at the bottom of his bed, she walked to the window and sat on the pane "Naruto, I have a proposition for you"

"Oh"

"You don't have to answer straight away, and you can turn down the position" she explained "But I want you in my squad. I've already spent several hours talking about it with the old man, and as long as you agree there is no problem"

Naruto nodded, taking it in "You should know by now Yoruichi-senpai that my speciality isn't covert ops"

"I'm losing Kisuke by the end of the week" she explained, taking him by surprise "I've put his name forward for the Captains examination"

"He knows bankai?"

"Why do you sound so surprised" she asked with a pout "He's known it for quite a while, he just doesn't want to show it"

He thought about it for a moment "I accept"

She looked at him "You don't have to agree right away. I'm not going to be giving you as high a seat as some of the others might"

"I don't want it handed to me on a silver platter Yoruichi-senpai" he explained "I want to earn everything I get, I won't be accepting special handouts for a position I may not yet be ready for" She hid a smile as he reaffirmed his earlier answer "I accept, thank you Yoruichi-senpai"

She nodded and made to leave, out the door this time just to please Unohana. But before she opened the sliding door she turned to face him "Naruto"

"Hmm"

"Its Yoruichi-taicho now" she shook her head and gave him a wink "Stuff both Senpai and Taicho, just call me Yoruichi"

He smiled widely "Sure thing"

------

"You can't be serious"

Aizen looked up at his captain "Sadly yes. Kenpachi-Taicho got Yamachika Aesygawa and Madarame Ikkaku before he confronted Naruto-kun. Haruno Sakura had already sent a letter designated her wish to enter the 4th Division. That was accepted. Kazekage Temari has been accepted into the 3rd Division and Nara Shikamaru to the 10th Division"

"Are you screwing with me?"

"I would never do that Taicho"

"Nooooo" he screamed, falling to his hands and knees and slamming his fists through the timber floor "This can't be happening, the most talented group of trainees in a century and I missed every single one of them!!!"

His Vice-Captain looked at him with a bored expression before trying in a mild way to console him "There's always next year"

His consoling only seemed to infuriate his captain even more.

* * *

**It is decided that I am going to change the rating of this fanfic to M, first one. Now moving on I did a little research on Kenpachi Zaraki, using the Bleach wiki and Volume 13 of the Bleach Manga as my materiel to try and get his character down, I hope I did it right. **


	11. Assignment

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Assignment**_

The week had come and gone, the graduation had arrived. The old man himself was present on the stage, looking down with wizened eyes upon the twenty students who had survived and passed the year. Behind him, sitting in simple backed chairs were Vice-Captains and other high ranking seated officers of the Goteijusantai, as well as representatives from the Kido Division and the Omnisukido.

He was slightly disappointed to see that neither Yoruichi nor Urahara had attended the ceremony, but it was to be expected. Yoruichi was a captain, and Kisuke had just been promoted to captain of the 12th Division. Instead there was a young petite girl, barely out of her teens sitting on one of the chairs. She looked nervous yet determined among the small group of Vice-Captains and 3rd Seated officers, something a member of the feared and respected Stealth Force should be.

He frowned; she had to be pretty new to the force, considering that he didn't recognise her. Either that or she had been on some long running mission during his visits for training, advice, and of course to visit Rangiku-chan. She had to be a person of a fairly high rank, probably not in the 2nd Division, maybe she was a member of the catlike captains honour guard, he had never really conversed with them.

For once the Sotaicho put his long, agonisingly boring speeches on hold, and just congratulated them on all making it into their chosen squads and warned them that this was only the beginning of their journey. All of the students, including himself, paid strict attention to the commanders words. Finally the speech ended, and with it the beginning of the handing out of Zanpakuto's to the graduates. The Head Captain hobbled down from the stage and exited to another, smaller room. He would be handing out the swords individually, starting in alphabetical order.

The former Hokage's name wasn't called. Why would it be, he already gained possession and knew the name of his sword. The Sotaicho had already explained this to the class, much to Ikkaku's annoyance. One by one the twenty students entered the small chamber, and one by one they left with their own Zanpakuto. Some looked pleased, others incredibly disappointed.

Sakura's Zanpakuto was a simple straight katana. Its sheath was a deep pink. The hilt of her sword was wrapped in pink cloth with a crimson coloured square guard. The blade itself was a glimmering silver double edge, looking sufficient enough to be able to tangle with any Hollow.

Temari's sword was not really a katana, but a _Wakizashi_, a short sword or shoto blade encased in a teal coloured sheath with similarly coloured wrappings surrounding the hilt. Its guard on the small sword seemed to be nonexistent with very little between the tang and the hilt. The shape of his friends Zanpakuto puzzled him, Temari was always a long ranged specialist in life, and even in death she excelled more in kido than any other art.

Shikamaru's on the other hand was a long, straight katana just like Sakura's. It was encased in a black scabbard with dark grey and black cloth covering the hilt, the guard was shaped like a curved shuriken, four curved blade like protrusions separating the tang and the hilt. It looked a little cool, but by the way he was haphazardly leaning it against his shoulder she wondered how long it would be until he broke it.

Finally after a moment of silence the Head-Captain had congratulated all of the graduates and dismissed the ceremony. The students stood and began to file out of the assembly hall, chattering happily about they're new Zanpakutos and they're squad assignments. Naruto was barely out of the hall when his friends surrounded him and Sakura spoke in a happy tone.

"Anyone want to go get a victory lunch?"

They all nodded in agreement.

------

The place they had gone too was considered one of the famous student spots in the Soul Society. Located five minutes from the academy the small diner was commonly frequented by students as a place to hang out, talk with friends, catch up on gossip and generally relax. Naruto and his friends had come here often, usually to enjoy the food and to relax from the hectic schedule they had with the academy.

The owner, a kind old lady smiled as they entered and sat around they're usual table, sending a waiter up to them to take they're order. Drinks were brought up to them, but when they went for their money the old woman had waved them off, telling them that it was a gift from the house to commemorate them becoming Shinigami. For a few minutes they were silent, enjoying each others company.

"Look's like we're going to be split up" Sakura began sadly.

"Looks like" Nara agreed "Ah man this is so troublesome"

"Don't worry about it" Naruto said as he took a sip of his lemonade "Just because we're in other companies doesn't mean we won't see each other again"

"Guess you're right" Shikamaru said with a sigh "I can't believe I got stuck in the 10th Division, they don't have a captain and all of the work is being divided among the seated officers"

"You sound like you're going to be a seated officer" Temari chided.

"Well yeah, I am"

His three friends looked at him for a moment, trying to gauge whether he was fooling around with them or not. Finally after a moment Sakura spoke up "You're serious"

"Yeah" he said in a bored tone "It ain't anything special, I'm one of about ten guys who will be placed in the 10th seat, from what I have been hearing they get a lot of the paperwork" he looked at the expressions and frowned "You guys ain't been placed in a seated position?"

"I have" Temari said.

"Me too" Sakura added.

Naruto nodded.

"Then why does me getting a seat sound so unbelievable?"

"You're lack of enthusiasm"

"You're grades at the academy"

He frowned at them "Yeah well apparently my actions at the final exam got the instructors and proctors to see the light with me, so I've just been reassigned from the nameless ranks to a seated position" he sighed again "This is going to be such a drag"

His three friends starred at him for a moment, then started to snigger, muffling outright laughter with their hands.

"That's Shikamaru for you" Sakura said lightly.

He set them all with a frown before falling back in his chair "So what positions did you guys get?"

"Nothing special for me" Temari said "I got into the 8th Seated position"

"9th Seat for me" Sakura stated as she finished drinking her water.

Naruto was silent, and as they looked at him he decided to answer "I haven't been given a position yet"

They all looked at him "What do you mean"

"I mean that I haven't been given a position, I know I'm going to be in the 2nd Division but I have no idea in what seat, if I'm even going to be in a seat at all"

"Maybe you're going to be in the Omnisukido"

He made a face "Are you kidding, sneaking around isn't my style"

"Yeah you're far to clumsy for that"

He looked over to Sakura with a mock hurt expression "Not fair Sakura-chan"

She giggled under his puppy dog stare, and then stuck out her tongue playfully when he looked like he wasn't going to give up.

"Here's you're order" the waiter said, balancing four plates of food in his arms "Two orders of dumplings, one miso ramen and one Korean barbeque!"

The four kids picked up their chopsticks, said 'Ikadikimasu' in unison and began eating their food with hungry gusto. Within five minutes the plates were cleaned to a near shine, the glasses of drink had been emptied and the four of them were sitting back in the chairs, sighing happily.

"Hey you"

They all turned to the owner of the voice, to see a petite girl with shoulder length black hair and pale skin starring at them, or more precisely starring at Naruto. She wore the black, skin tight light armoured suit of the Stealth Force, a sword sheathed to a black scabbard across her smaller back.

Naruto frowned at the annoyance in her gaze "Yeah"

"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?"

He paused for a moment "Yeah, so wha-"

His words were cut short when she grabbed his arm and hauled him off the chair, dragging him across the floor and out the door with strength one would have thought unlikely with her small stature. His friends, the other customers and the owner of the bar looked on in a mixture of disbelief and concern.

After a moment Shikamaru sniggered, earning an annoyed look from his two friends "Looks like Naruto's squad will be more troublesome than mine"

------

They were half way down the street when he finally broke free off her iron grip. He came up to his feet wearily as she stopped to wait for him, a scowl of annoyance on her young features.

"What!?"

"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked with a pointed glare which matched hers. It was a question he found he was saying a lot in the Soul Society. In a way he guessed it came with the territory, even though he still found it hard to believe that he was a prodigy as some of the captains had said.

"Soifon, member of Yoruichi-sama's honour guard" she replied pointedly, starring at him like he was an annoying little fly she wanted to scrape from her boot "I have been sent to collect you!"

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"Shut up and keep moving" she replied, spinning on her heel and stalking down the street, her annoyance clear to even a blind man. Naruto scowled, but fell into step and followed her along the streets of the Seireitei.

After ten minutes of walking in silence she tilted her head to the side and looked him up and down, almost like she were a predator analyzing a target. He was not blind to her analysis and glared at her "What?"

"I don't see why she picked you" she said with an obvious scowl "And why she's so interested in you"

"Huh"

"As far as I am concerned you do not deserve to be placed among the top seats of her squad, true warriors are those who sacrifice blood, sweat and tears to gain a position. Not some little genius fresh out of the academy!"

To her surprise he groaned "Ah man, I told her I didn't want to be seen as anything special. That crazy, childish-"

"Watch your mouth" she growled, her tone threatening, her stare laced with killer intent "Address Yoruichi-sama with the proper respect or I will kill you"

Naruto was not about to stand down from that, even if she was going to be one of his superiors. He had enough of being snubbed and looked down upon in one life, he wasn't about to take it in the next. But he held back his retort, reminding himself that this kid probably didn't understand all of the information. Holding back a snarl he fell into step behind her again.

To Soifon her annoyance with this kid was only rising. What does Yoruichi-sama see in this boy? What makes him so god damned special in her eyes? Her sensei was so interested in him that it deemed to piss her off. She just wanted to deposit him at the 2nd division barracks and never see him again.

_Calm down _she thought _stop being so damn childish, she'll probably get tired of him and send him to a desk job somewhere_. She thought that, but she knew that would never happen. One thing her mistress always had been was fair. She wouldn't do such a thing if he had talent.

Finally they came to the barracks of the division, and she quietly led him through the entrance, down the corridors and crossroads to the main training ground of the division, a large courtyard not so dissimilar to the ones in the Shihoin residence. He guessed that this place was for training.

"You're finally here"

They looked up to see Yoruichi standing on the roof of the barracks. Her captain's coat and shoulder length dark purple hair swaying in the wind. At her feet were nearly twenty members of the Omnistukido, all kneeling before her as if she were the empress of a great empire. She vanished from view, reappearing in the middle of the courtyard and flashing him a grin so wide that he thought it would split her face from ear to ear.

"Welcome to the 2nd Division Naruto-kun"

Her smile was so contagious that he found himself returning it "I'm here and ready to serve Yoruichi-sensei"

He saw Soifon look up from her kneel, eyeing him dangerously. He ignored her.

"Now I know I promised you nothing special" Yoruichi said "But sadly the Sotaicho didn't agree with our assessment" she became completely serious, crossing her arms under her chest "Uzumaki Naruto, you are hereby presented with the rank of 5th Seat of the 2nd Imperial Court Guard Division, and Captain of the Omnitsukido Patrol Corps"

Naruto made a sour face, but then sighed with a small smile "Throwing me up the river without a paddle huh?"

"Sorry" she replied, sounding anything but "You will be handed command of the Patrol Corps after you get settled"

------

He had been issued his own Shihakusho by the end of the day, and he wore it with pride as he was being escorted to his new residence, one of many rooms for the members of the company in the barracks, because he was a high ranking officer he got a pretty descent room. It was a two room apartment, quite large compared to the simple bedrooms he saw lower seated officers reside. It had a large living room, with a live in kitchen to the right and a door to the bedroom on the left, a window was at the other side of the room, delivering light to his small abode.

He unpacked his possessions quickly and within fifteen minutes he was sitting on a two seat couch, his mind whirling through all of the information he had been forced to process. He knew that someone like him, fresh out of the academy, should not have been assigned such a high rank within the division. Even with all of his credentials.

Then there was the fact that he had also been assigned an entire squad of his own, he knew how closely tied the 2nd Imperial Court Guard Division was with the Omnitsukido, but he didn't know that members of the division were placed in charge of the Stealth Forces five branches.

He sighed, the main reason why he wanted a lower rank was because he wanted to earn his position in the company, and gain the respect of his fellow Shinigami. Something which was impossible to do now, he saw several members of the division look at him in annoyance and agitation, a kid fresh out of the academy getting a highly ranking position was bound to step on plenty of toes.

In times like this he usually referred to his nin-do. Never go back on your word. That was his nin-do, his ninja way, and it was a motto he kept with him even in this next life. He promised himself that he would work hard to earn respect in this company, and show them that the captain's decision was a sound one. He owed her at least that much.

------

"So she threw you right into it huh?"

Naruto leaned back to get a better view of the Shogi board, looking at each of his pieces to see if he had any in a position to do some damage, after a moment he made his move "Yeah, I was expecting something in the latter numbers, but to be thrown into one of the top five seats, and then given command of one of the five branches of the Omnitsukido was kinda overwhelming"

Urahara looked over the Shogi board and made his move "What squad?"

"The Patrol Corps"

"You're kidding"

"No"

"That's unusual"

He frowned at the new Captain of 12th Division. He was barely there a week and he was already making huge changes to the divisions' layout, changing it from a squad with no specialisation to a scientific research bureau. It was a controversial decision he heard, especially with his Vice-Captain, a fiery, blonde haired girl called Hiyori Sarugaki. From what he heard she had levelled Kisuke barely a day after he was assigned, that alongside her reputation as a foul mouthed, ill-tempered lunatic gave Naruto enough information to stay the hell away from her.

"How so" he asked, grimacing when Kisuke took out one of his knights with a crook.

"Usually the Patrol Corps is given to the Vice-Captain" Urahara replied, looking on with a calculating eye when Naruto took out his crook with a bishop "I was expecting her to put you in charge of the Reversal Counter Force"

His young friend made a sour face "The couriers, suddenly I'm glad I got the Patrol Corps"

Kisuke shrugged as he moved an important piece from Naruto's line of attack "I'm only saying it's unusual, but you have you're hands full"

"I know, I know" Naruto murmured "Besides the Executive Militia the Corps is the second most important unit of the Stealth Force"

"More than that"

"What?"

"Consider this. The 2nd Division has a Captain, but she doesn't have a Vice-Captain, and now because of my reassignment she no longer has an Assistant Adjutant" he looked Naruto in the eyes "You we're promoted because of these losses to the company, but also because of your previous occupation as commander of an army, because of that you have leadership skills and ability that the Division sorely needs"

"So I would have been given a high rank whether I wanted it or not?"

"Precisely" Urahara concurred "I think that although you are already in a high position that Yoruichi-san is preparing you to take on the position of Vice-Captain with Soifon gaining the Assistant Adjutant"

"That girl hates my guts" Naruto said with a sigh.

"She is fiercely loyal to Yoruichi-san" Kisuke explained, making another move and smiling, Naruto was good but it would be over in three more turns "Sadly she also acts like her age on occasions. In the end she is a child needing the attention of a parental figure, and Yoruichi-san is that figure"

Naruto frowned as he looked over the board, trying to find a way out of the trap Kisuke was setting for his lead pieces "Yoruichi…a parental figure?"

Urahara chuckled at his look "Sometimes I wonder about her choice as well"

"I cannot imagine her with kids" Naruto said jokingly.

Urahara made his move. The trap was set "So what are you going to do now?"

Uzumaki did not miss the double metaphor "I'll take the position of 5th Seat, albeit grudgingly…" he flicked his king, tapping it over "I quite, you would have gotten me in another move"

"You're not a bad shogi player" Urahara said in amusement.

"A friend of mine taught me after I became Hokage" Naruto replied as he stood up "Said I'd need it for strategy's sake. He was so right"

"Sounds like you're friend is a good strategist"

"He is, I'll introduce you"

"I'd like that" Kisuke nodded "There aren't many shogi players in this Division"

------

The Patrol Corps lived up to its name as one of the most powerful squads in the Stealth Force. Its members were all brutally efficient in what they did. From what he had surveyed they were masters of fast movement, more than capable of fighting Hollows on equal footing and very well versed in tactics and strategy. The branch was made up of a hundred men and women, split into units of five people each. Each squad leader was the best, ruthless to their enemies, efficient in getting the job done and determined to bring their teammates back home. To these people unity meant survival, while separation meant death.

He was impressed, sure he heard about how good the individual branches of the Omnitsukido were, but he just needed to see it for himself. Yoruichi had confirmed that he would be taking command of this elite force by the end of the week, and to use this free time to rest and study the names and specialties off every member. He did just that, memorising each name and ability into his mind, writing it down so that he would remember better.

He was sitting in a small restaurant, a small stack of notes and personnel files on his table, alongside a small plate of dumplings and a large cup of coffee, another commodity he had gotten used to in the academy. Each file was detailed with the member's strengths and weaknesses, their specialty, proficiency in weapons, Kido and ability with their Zanpakuto.

He felt a familiar presence and looked up, smiling when he saw a familiar pink haired girl walk up to him with two cups of coffee. She set one down beside him and took a seat across. Sipping the boiling hot liquid as she watched him study, after a while she giggled, earning a bemused look from her former teammate.

"What?"

"Even after you became Hokage I found it surreal" she said with a smile "Uzumaki Naruto, stuck in a chair, doing paperwork and studying"

"Yeah" he replied, scratching the back of his head "Never thought I'd end up like this either"

"So" she shuffled across the table until she was right beside him, picking up a file and looking at the first few pages "What are you doing?"

"Looking up on my new command" he replied as he took a sip of his coffee, making a face at the bitter taste "Can I pick your brain for a moment?"

She looked at him for a moment, before he face softened into a smile "Sure"

They were up most of the night, looking over reports and putting forward ideas of any changes that may be needed for the squad. By the end of the night they came to the conclusion that the teams were best left as they were, whoever the former Vice-Captain was he obviously knew what he was doing, and Naruto was not going to change a system which worked so well.

A question popped into his head "How's your placement in 4th Division"

"No bad" she replied "Everyone's nice enough, and the Captain and Lieutenant are kind people" she took a sip of her coffee, sighing happily, he considered she may be becoming a caffeine addict "But I'm not being given enough work to keep me busy, so there's a lot of free time. I heard you got a high rank"

"Yeah" Naruto replied with a sour face "Yoruichi-sensei isn't going to put me into the firing line until next week, told me to study like my life depended on it"

She smiled at his pained expression "There's a lot of paperwork right?"

"About three piles a day" he replied "Although I have a sneaking suspicion she's passing her own paperwork onto me"

"What make's you think that?"

"If I told you that then I'd probably have to kill you" he performed a cutthroat gesture and stuck out his tongue, making her chuckle.

------

Like a flash the week came and went. He was officially proclaimed as the new 5th Seat and given command of the Patrol Corps. He had immediately called for a meeting of the Omnitsukido branch to see theirs strengths and weaknesses up close and personal.

Many it appeared were not happy that someone like him, fresh out of the academy was given not just a high seat but also command of their unit. Yet they were very good at hiding this. But he still saw it, and decided to do something about it. They were surprised when he said he wanted to do a little exercise, and even more surprised when he said that they could come at him.

It didn't take long for a few team leaders to raise their hands, eager to both test his ability and see if he was worthy of the position as their commander. Naruto smirked, spun on his heel and walked to the middle of the courtyard he was using for the rally. He stopped in the centre, turned and remained there, unmoving.

With a blur of movement fifteen black suited forms appeared around him, surrounding him completely. A good strategy he thought, best to attack an unknown opponent from all sides. Some had their hands on the hilts of their swords. Others had fallen into fighting stances.

Five came at him, all drawing their katana in a flash. Naruto did not move to draw his Zanpakuto, but just stood there, looking straight ahead. When the first came at him, swinging his sword in a downward stroke he sidestepped and delivered a chop to his neck. He ducked a swing and brought his elbow into his second opponents abdomen, making him gasp and stagger. A third stabbed out with his sword, only to strike an afterimage, the blonde grabbed his outstretched wrist and threw him over his shoulder into the fourth. They landed in a heap. The fifth had his sword held over his head for a downward stroke, and in a flash he brought his fist up, delivering a perfect uppercut to his chin and sending him flying through the air.

To the remainder of the Patrol Corps the opening fight only lasted for five seconds and when the last man was thrown back the first hit the ground. The ten who still surrounded him and the seventy five others sitting at the side looked at this strange young man, eyes wide in both admiration and shock.

Taking a deep breath Naruto fell into a fighting stance, one that Rock Lee had taught him a lifetime ago. He wasn't nearly as spirited with the style, but he was good enough to be considered a master of the practise. He made a come on gesture with his right hand, a smile on his face at the disbelieving looks on his last ten opponents. This was going to be fun.

When they didn't come to him he went to them, taking off in a run the first one wasn't able to react in time, his right hand shot out in a heel palm, striking his chest, sending him flying back and landing hard on the stone tiles. Another charged him, sword half drawn from the sheath. He spun on his heel and jumped delivering a powerful high kick to the side of the seconds head. He came down in time to block a series of punches from his third opponent, whom he quickly despatched with a well timed punch to the man's face. A fourth jumped into the air, setting up a swinging kick to Naruto's head. He blocked it, grabbed his leg and threw him into another three Patrol Corps ninja running at him, sending them down in a heap.

Three left.

Two came at him from either side, swords drawn and ready, he ducked the left one's swing, jumped the right's and brought his legs out in a perfect split, delivering a bone numbing set of kicks to his opponents faces, they flew back and hit the ground at the same time.

He felt a flash of movement and was forced to draw his Zanpakuto, bringing it up just in time to block a swing aimed for his neck. The blade belonged to a woman, her pale face half concealed by black cloth, her shoulder length black hair done up in a ponytail.

"Made you draw your sword" She spoke with a treacle of mirth.

The blonde smiled "Yes you did" _She has skill in hiding her presence, I barely sensed her until she made her strike._

She jumped back and fell in a crouch, sword held backwards in her right hand while she used her left to steady herself. Her light armour showed a body at its peak in physical fitness, if a little petite. In fact he swore she reminded him of someone. It came to him.

"Did Yoruichi-sensei send you to keep an eye on me Soifon?"

"No" she replied, removing her veil "I just wanted to see what you can do for myself"

To the men and women of the Corps it was one surprise after another. First they get a kid fresh out of the academy as their new commander, then they learn he could beat the crap out of their strongest members in record time, and now one of their commander-in-chiefs most gifted honour guards was among their ranks and they didn't even now it.

The two ignored the disbelieving stares and the odd whisper of conversation, their focus was completely on each other.

"That's sweet" he said teasingly "But I already have a girlfriend"

She growled in annoyance, he really rubbed her the wrong way "Shut up, I am not here because of some damn crush. I am here because I want to see what you can do for myself!!"

"Keep telling yourself that Soifon-chan"

She growled again. The killing intent in her rietsu was strong enough to make those members of the Patrol Corps not unconscious stand and take several steps back. She charged him, sword ready for a swipe. But as she came within range he moved so fast she could barely register, it wasn't Shunpo, but it was still fast. He grabbed her wrist and tossed her to the ground. Before she could stand he was on her, hand pressing hard against her shoulder and blade against her throat.

"You need to reel in your anger Soifon-chan" he stated with a sad smile "Take it from someone who died because of it, it will get you killed"

She looked into his oceanic eyes and stopped, there was sadness there, like he was reliving a painful memory. He sighed, stood up and turned to his assembled unit, sheathing his sword. The fourteen he had fought had awakened and were slowly getting to their feet, groaning in pain.

"Is that a good enough showing" he asked "Like it or not I am your new commander. I know I seem like just another spoiled brat given a position because of wealth but let me tell you all something. I will earn your respect in the years to come, not from words but from actions. I will be there in the front lines with you. I will fight for you and protect you when you're helpless. I will make damned sure to bring you all back home, dead or alive. I have a golden rule, leave no one behind"

There was steel in his voice that none of them missed, the voice of a leader who had been tried and tested through the fields of war, who had spilled blood and lost loved ones. Even Soifon was forced to change her opinion. These were the words of a man strong in his convictions and determined to earn respect.

"Dismissed"


	12. El Nido de Serpientes

_**Chapter 11**_

_**El Nido de Serpientes**_

_Music_

_Confrontation; Bleach OST, Destiny Awaits; Bleach OST, Fade to Black A02; Bleach OST, Grief and Sorrow; Naruto OST, Fade To Black_3BLM_51a; Bleach OST, Storm Center; Bleach OST_

The forest was dark and silent, that was what worried him. No forest should ever be silent. There should be the chirping of birds, the clicking of crickets, the calls of nocturnal animals. Yet there was nothing, it was as if a great evil had descended upon this place, scaring the animals away.

That was exactly what happened.

He had come here as part of a combat squad from the 9th, sent to eliminate an unusually large nest of Hollow. How many wasn't known, but according to reports from scouting groups it was just a bunch of average ghosts, there were no sign of any Menos Grande.

His breathing was quick and ragged as he ran through the dark and silent forest. His sword out of its sheath and held tightly in his right hand. He came to a clearing and stopped, looking around nervously into the canopy for anything that even looked like a monster.

A roar, eerie and terrifying erupted from the forest, sending a swarm of birds from their perches in a squawking mass. He flinched back from the scream.

They were all gone. His entire team had been massacred within minutes. The Hollow were like nothing he had ever seen before, although he had heard reports. They moved like a well oiled machine, each one covering the other as they attacked with ferocity expected from a pack of hungry wolves.

He spun to see a humanoid silhouette rise from the grass, slowly and purposefully, like a predator stalking wounded prey. He couldn't make out features or clothing. But he could make out the long hair which ran to waist length, the sinewy body, a bow of some sort seemed to be tied to its back.

It raised its hand and a trio of cobras shot out from its sleeve, hungry maws of poisoned teeth came at him. He didn't even have time to scream. Before he died he saw glowing yellow eyes with sickle like pupils, they looked like that of a snakes.

------

Six months passed.

He was sitting cross legged on the stump of a log, arms crossed and eyes lightly closed in deep meditation. This was one of the easiest ways to call upon the spirit of ones Zanpakuto. At least that was what he had been told. Meditation calmed the mind and body, allowing the spirit to pull you into its inner world and interact with you.

For someone like him with an almost hyperactive, sugar rush energy the most difficult thing was to be sitting completely still. For the first half hour he had tried desperately to suppress the urge to move. He growled, I am a former ninja, a former Hokage, this shouldn't be a problem!

He took a deep, cleansing breath and relaxed into his meditation. In the blink of an eye his other four senses became more acute. He could hear the chirping of birds a kilometre away, feel the sounds of footfalls from within the barracks, he could smell the whiffs of food coming from the kitchens. Hmm, beef stew tonight.

_Suddenly he felt an incredible tug and when he opened his eyes he was sitting atop the Hokage's palace in Konoha. He looked forward to see the mass of structures of the Hidden Leaf Village reaching into the distance, and behind him he knew were the Hokage stone faces._

"_Finally you have come"_

_He looked up to see Kazerasshu, standing twenty meters above him, looking down upon him with those calculating eyes. He vanished from view, reappearing at the other end of the palace as Naruto rose to his feet. He was still wearing his robes, his Zanpakuto still sheathed to his side._

_His swords spirit had definitely come armed, shuriken and kunai pouches were attached to his upper legs and an exact duplicate of his own sword was on his back, held there by a strap across his torso. His sleeveless ninja vest was carrying a mass of scrolls and other weapons in its pockets._

_The blonde grinned "So how do you want to do this?"_

_Kazerasshu raised a silver brow "How do you mean?"_

"_I realised something" he began, gazing at his Zanpakuto with a calculating eye "That if I want to become strong enough to earn this position then I cant just train myself. Sure I can hone my Kido to a razor edge, I can work on my fighting ability and my swordsmanship until I'm blue in the face, I can master Shunpo…But if I am truly to become stronger, if I am to be worthy of being Vice-Captain one day I cant just train myself, I need to know my Zanpakuto, learn from him and grow stronger with his help" he looked the silver haired ninja in the eyes "I need your help"_

_His Zanpakuto smiled in approval "How long have you known?"_

"_A few months" the blonde replied, before bowing deeply and respectfully "I'm sorry I haven't tried this sooner, but the Patrol Corps has taken up a lot of my time" he raised his head "Help me become stronger sensei"_

_His Zanpakuto chuckled "Very well then, but know this. I will not go easy on you. I will work you until you are half dead from exhaustion. I want to become stronger too after all"_

_He bowed again "Hai Sensei"_

_He raised his right hand and shot out a handful of shuriken and kunai, they embedded themselves in the wooden roof, forcing Naruto to jump back to avoid them. He landed on the edge, looking down as the last kunai struck the wood at his feet, attached to the ring at the end of its handle was a small sealed slip of paper, which lit up and started burning like a fuse._

_A paper bomb_

_He tried to jump away, but was a split second too late as the bomb exploded, its shockwave sending him spinning to the ground below, he righted himself, landing on a smaller structure across the main street, digging his hands into the wood to stop and steady himself. _

_He skidded to a halt, raised his hands and shouted "__Hado Sanjuuichi; Shakkaho (Way of Destruction 31; Shot of Red Fire)!"_

_A ball of red fire shot out of his hands like a bullet, soaring through the space towards where his Zanpakuto stood. He watched as the ninja put his hands together, he saw the hand seals for tiger and serpent._

"_Suiton: __Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Jutsu)!"_

_A wall of water seemed to explode from the street, coming up like a sheer cliff face of blue, his Hado slammed into it with an explosion of cooling steam and water. He could only look at the wall of water in shock and disbelief. That was a Jutsu, a water release Jutsu!_

_He heard another call from his Zanpakuto and knew immediately that he was in serious trouble "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu)!"_

_He watched as the wall of water came forward, heading towards him like a huge tsunami. Without thinking he ran, jumping from rooftop to rooftop and trying to ignore the crashing and crushing sounds as the tidal wave exploded through the city block behind him. He jumped, drew his Zanpakuto and roared its release command "Descend Kazerasshu!!!"_

_He swung the sword in a sweeping arc, releasing a blast of wind into the tsunami, huge blades of condensed wind blasted forth, striking the wave with the strength of a low level hurricane. The tsunami exploded in a mass of water and howling wind. Landing on a roof of a two storey house he looked up to the sky just as rain fell._

"_Impressive" he turned to see Kazerasshu across from him, floating a meter off the rooftop "A midlevel Hado spell without the incantation, you are progressing well" he looked at his wielder for a moment "Aren't you going to ask me how I can perform Jutsu?"_

_He shook his head "We're in my inner world, its only natural you can use Jutsu here"_

"_Very good" the silver haired ninja applauded "So you will know that I will use all the Jutsu which were once in your arsenal, including shadow clone, water and wind based"_

"_What about the fox?"_

"_That is beyond me" he said with a shake of his head._

"_Thank god for that"_

_Wordlessly he reached for the sword sheathed to his back, using his left hand to steady the bottom of the scabbard and his right to draw the weapon. The slow grind as he drew it was almost unbearable. He flicked the blade, a satisfactory swishing noise barely heard. _

"_Are you ready?"_

_He fell into a basic sword fighting stance "Bring it on"_

He came too with a heave, trying with everything he had to regain his breathe. He looked down to see wet patches of blood from cuts and shallow slashes along his Shihakusho, he felt a drip of warm liquid from a small cut along his right cheek. Looks like wounds received in the inner world went with you to the real world. He made a silent promise to take off his uniform the next time he meditated.

He took a deep breath and waited, allowing the scratches and slashes across his body to heal themselves, within a few minutes all of his wounds were healed, not even leaving the slightest scar. Taking a last breath he rose and, taking his Zanpakuto from the ground walked to the barracks.

He was stopped by a sudden howl of wind and turned to see a member of the Counter Reversal Force kneeling before him "Naruto-sama" he said, making him force back a grimace, he would never get used to the title "I have a message from Yoruichi-taicho"

------

His captain was sitting in her usual throne, legs crossed and face leaning against a hand. In the room with her were ten members of his Patrol Corps, kneeling to the side with their heads bowed. She looked up as he entered and nodded, this meant that this was a serious matter.

"Come in Naruto" she greeted "A mission has just come up"

"What kind of mission?"

"Yesterday a unit of Shinigami from the 9th Division were sent to the world of the living to hunt an unusually large nest of Hollow" she explained solemnly "They haven't reported back to their captain since they got there"

"So has he sent a request for the Patrol Corps?"

"This comes from the Sotaicho himself, the unit was made of several seated officers, more than enough to take on a normal nest" she leaned forward "Naruto, the commander has issued an executive order, and is assembling a joint operations taskforce to find them. The mission is to find the missing team and exterminate the nest"

He looked down at the two teams and nodded, they returned it respectfully. In six months he had gained the respect of the Patrol Corps through missions, his leadership and the training sessions he put them through six days a week. In those six months he turned a professional force into an elite force able to give the Militia a run for their money. The two leaders the captain had assembled were the best in the corps, ones he would personally recommend.

Kisa was the leader of the 2nd Unit. The former Vice-Captain had nothing but praise for her and Naruto was the same. She had a lean figure with green eyes and long dirty blonde hair done up in a ponytail which stretched to the small of her back. Zero was the best in his squad and the leader of the 1st Unit. He was quiet and professional, yet a man who followed his ideals to look after his teammates. He was bald, whether natural or by his choice he didn't know and was the eldest in the corps, with a twenty year flawless record.

Like most of the corps they had adopted the new uniform. The black body hugging suit was still standard issue with a veil across the lower half of their faces. The difference was the sleeveless black vest, not so different from the leaf green jacket worn by Konoha Jonin and the two weapon pouches attached to their legs, containing shuriken, kunai, specially made explosive tags from the 12th Division's new research bureau along with other pieces of equipment.

He looked up at her "These two would have been my recommendations for such a mission, but with your permission I would like to accompany them"

Neither of them objected. They knew how much their commander liked working in the field. In the twenty Hollow extermination missions they had been assigned he had been present at all but one, and had the largest cleansing record in the history of the corps.

Yoruichi smiled "I knew you would, and your request has been granted"

"Thank you Yoruichi-sensei"

"You leave as soon as the force has been assembled, report to the 13th Division barracks"

"Hai, Yoruichi-sama" they said in unison, bowed deeply and in a blur were gone.

------

They arrived at their designated meeting point barely ten minutes after receiving the mission, a training courtyard positioned behind the barracks of the 13th Division. Naruto and his squad descended upon the stone tiles like a flock of birds, landing gracefully in a crouch and rising up to assess the area. The courtyard was large enough to assemble a full Division of the Court Guard.

"Are we early" Kisa asked, looking around for any sign of any other life in the premises.

Their commander shook his head "No, we're right on time" he took a few steps towards the centre and frowned "We had the farthest to travel and we end up being the first ones here"

"Not exactly"

They turned to see a full combat squad of Shinigami approach from the other side of the courtyard. He could tell that they came from the 9th Division, mostly because along with the regular robes they wore a long white longcoat not dissimilar to what a captain wore. At their head was a man with long spiked purplish hair, the bottom half of his face obscured by a white mask while the top was covered by goggles.

"I take it you are the Patrol units sent by the 2nd Division?"

Naruto nodded "Uzumaki Naruto, 5th Seat"

The masked man nodded back "We seem to be of the same rank, Tosen Kaname, 5th Seat"

"Pleasure" Naruto said "But that leaves us in a problem, if we're both of the same seat then who is going to lead this operation?"

"That would be me"

_Why is everyone sneaking up on me today?_ Naruto thought, suppressing a groan.

He turned to see two figures approach from the barracks. Both wore normal Shihakusho with swords sheathed to their sides. One was a man, tall and youthful with spiked black hair. He wore a standard Shinigami uniform with the badge of a Vice-Captain on his left arm. The other was a woman, also young in appearance with long black hair done up in a ponytail, like her compatriot she wore a standard Shihakusho. Narutos first impression of her was simply that she was down right hot, but he kept it to himself.

The male gave a mock salute, a lopsided grin on his face "Yo, my name is Shiba Kaien, Vice-Captain of the 13th Division and the commanding officer of this taskforce" he looked to the woman a moment, then nudged her, she gave him a frown but stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Shiba Miyako, 3rd seat of same Division"

"She's our second in command" Kaien added "And also my wife, so hands off"

_Should have known_

"You have all been brought here because a squad of the 9th Division has been placed on missing in action" he frowned "Probably just some idiot who forgot to send the regular report, but we've been ordered to investigate so if we find them alive and fine bring them back bloodied and bruised, got it?"

Naruto chuckled "I think we'll get along just fine"

"And you are?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, 5th Seat, 2nd Division"

"Ah I have heard of you" Kaien replied with a smile "Apparently you're a once in a century genius"

"Their words, not mine"

"Ahh a humble man" his wife said with a kind smile "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh Naruto-kun, I've heard a lot about you"

"Anything good"

"If you mean bringing the Patrol Corps up to combat status equal to the Militia then yes, very good" she replied.

"I actually didn't do that much"

"Stop being so humble Naruto-sama"

"Damn it Zero stop calling me that"

"I think it suits you"

"Kisa" he said warningly.

"What" she asked in mock innocence "Would you rather we call you Naruto-sensei or Senpai"

"Plain Naruto is fine"

"That is impossible, Naruto-sama"

He groaned "You see what I have to work with"

"I know how you feel" Kaien replied, smirking "I get the same problem"

A cough brought their attention to their other representative "Can we begin" Tosen asked "I would like to get my people back"

"Guys no fun" Kaien muttered.

"I realised that too"

"Boys" both flinched at the commanding tone of Shiba's wife. It was so unexpected from the seemingly humble woman "Don't be rude"

"Yes dear" Kaien said with a theatrical sigh "I take it we have permission to open a Senkaimon"

His wife nodded and walked a handful of steps away from the force, in a graceful motion she drew her Zanpakuto and stabbed out, the top half of her swords blade vanished, smoothly she turned the blade and a pair of double doors appeared before them, opening to her as if her sword were a key. She sheathed her blade, turned and held out her hand, her middle and index finger stretched out to allow a black Hell Butterfly to perch itself.

"Come along" she said softly and walked through the doors.

Naruto elbowed Kaien "Who's in charge here, you or her?"

"I don't know half the time"

------

The double doors opened and in a blur twenty four Shinigami flew through, landing in a battle line a hundred meters above the ground. Naruto frowned in annoyance. He was expecting a forest like this to be full of animal calls, but it was completely silent. What was worse was the feel of the place. He could feel a dark presence blanketing the area, like a pressure at the back of his head.

Raising his hand he knew that the ten Patrol Corps soldiers were paying close attention, in a smooth motion he swung his arm out to the side. A burst of wind and all ten members of his two finest units scattered in two man cells.

"Do they know what to do?"

The blonde looked over to Kaname and frowned "Of course, they have been fully prepped for this mission"

"We will be moving as well then" Tosen stated.

"We should wait until my people report in"

"That is not necessary"

His frown was threatening to become a scowl "Why did you ask for my squad when you're not going to let them do their job?"

"We didn't ask for your squad" his counterpart replied calmly "It was an order from the Sotaicho"

"Enough" Kaien growled in annoyance "You're all giving me a headache"

Kaname looked to the Vice-Captain for a moment, and for a while Naruto thought he was going to protest, before bowing apologetically "I beg your pardon Shiba-Fukutaicho but I feel that sending my assault squad out will cover more ground and give the Patrol Corps support"

He turned to Naruto "What do you think Naruto-kun?"

The blonde messaged his forehead for a moment "I can see nothing wrong as long as they're fast and quiet"

Kaname nodded to him and turned to his men, they all bowed and scattered in every direction, again in groups of two. Frowning Naruto wondered if they were fast enough to keep up with his units.

"We will remain here" Shiba ordered, gaining nods from his wife and both 5th Seats.

------

The two units were well versed in basic patrol patterns behind enemy lines. Never move on the ground, always traverse the terrain from high points, remain in cover, move fast and swift, and stay on high, unyielding alert. Do not slip your guard, not even for an instant. If you lose focus you die. Know your surroundings, never underestimate your opponent and always guard your comrade's backs. These were rules he had hammered into them. To Uzumaki Naruto abandoning comrades was not an option. These were the rules their commander schooled them in. They were schooled until it was drilled into their skulls.

"_Those who abandon the rules are scum, but those who desert their friends are less than scum" _

Every squad leader in the Patrol Corps took that statement to heart. Their commander said a great man told him that, one of his greatest mentors and friends. Whoever that man was Zero would have liked to meet him.

Landing on a branch of an ancient tree he checked the limb to see if it could support his weight, then he raised his hand, his comrade jumped to his side a moment later. Silently the squad leader looked over the terrain. There was nothing but high trees in every direction, each one ancient and standing between twenty to fifty meters in height.

He felt a flash of rietsu and frowned, had they been followed?

Two members of the 9th Division appeared in the branch below them, looking up to the Patrol troops. Zero looked down and nodded a greeting which was returned by them both. Obviously Uzumaki-sensei had been overruled, and now they had two combat specialists with them. They would be handy in a fight, but they weren't useful when it came to the silent task of reconnaissance.

He heard a rustling in the grass and raised his hand, motioning for them to take cover wherever they could. He and his comrade did just that, as did the other two, albeit less quietly. Taking cover within a barbet of thick foliage Zero looked down to the long grass below, his spiritual pressure augmenting his eyes.

A Hollow was down there, it moved quietly and with stealth, it would have succeeded if not for its large size. It took the form of a long white serpent with black markings covering its sinewy form, with a dragon like Hollow mask covering its face, a long mane of black swept from below the frill protecting its neck. The creature slithered across the ground a few more feet, reared its head up to check the surrounding area, let off a low level hiss and continued on.

It was alone, he felt no other spiritual pressure nearby, but he wasn't about to take the chance. The mission was one of reconnaissance, nothing more. He turned to his subordinate, who nodded. Then he turned to the two combat troops and stopped. They had come out of hiding, slowly drawing their Zanpakuto and positioning themselves along the long branches for a surprise attack. He shook his head at them furiously, and made several hand signs to stop and pull back.

They didn't listen and together jumped down towards the seemingly unsuspecting Hollow, swords raised for killing swings. From out of nowhere another snake exploded from the undergrowth, its long jaws catching one of the 9th Shinigami and crushing him in an explosion of gore and shattered bone. The other was caught off guard and didn't realise his target raise itself and dart towards him with a hunters efficiency, coiling around him and squeezing until bones cracked and screams of agony became mute.

It was a trap.

They knew they were here "Move, now"

The two Patrol troops launched themselves from their perch, flying from tree limb to tree limb in a desperate attempt to escape. Another snake lunged from the branch they were approaching, its jaws catching his partners head and came down with a sickening crunch, cutting off his surprised cry. Zero hit the branch, used its elasticity to jump into the air, somersaulted and aimed his fist at the creature, preparing to blast him with a midlevel Kido spell.

He never got the chance. A fourth snake appeared below him, jaws open to swallow him whole, the last he saw was serrated teeth and a dark abyss.

------

Kisa landed on a branch and calmly looked left to right, her senses on high alert. A moment later her partner landed beside her in a crouch, his eyes also scanning the surrounding area, she sensed nothing, not even a bird or a rodent. This worried her, in a forest like this there was always life, always. The lack of it brought a chill up her spine.

Screams suddenly assaulted her ears, coming from several meters behind them. In unison she and her comrade both turned to see two members of the combat squad sliced to pieces by a group of six snake-like Hollow. The men were barely able to swing their swords before they were set upon and vanished in a mass of white scaled hide and darting mouths. She watched with dread, trying to sense them but finding that she could not, and turning to her subordinate urged him to run.

They darted from treetop to treetop back the way they came, hoping they would be able to reach the seated officers. A jaw of serrated teeth exploded from the thick foliage, grabbing her partner's leg with a sickening crunch. Through his pain he looked to her and mouthed run before he was dragged into the dark abyss.

She watched in horror and was about to charge after her subordinate. Then another launched itself from the forest below. She was ready. Fisting into her leg pouch she pulled out a handful of shuriken and threw them at the beast with deadly efficiency, each star shaped blade hit the mark, embedding them selves into the Hollows hard skin, the paper bombs tied to them finished the job. With a satisfying boom the Hollow, torn apart by the explosion fell into the darkness with a screech.

Landing on a treetop she stretched out with her senses in a desperate attempt to find her squad mate, she could not. Gritting her teeth she turned to run back to the seated officers, they needed to be warned, another Hollow exploded from the depths. She turned with a start.

She could not dodge it this time.

------

"Patrol squads, come in please" His three fellow seated officers looked at him, and he curtly ignored them. His units had missed their first status report. They never missed a status report "Kisa, Zero respond, units one and two respond!"

Kaname picked up his own communicator and clicked it on "Assault squads report" no answer, nothing but static "Assault squads report!"

"I've got a bad feeling about this" Kaien muttered. Then something in the dark horizon caught his eye. Someone was running, or for a better term limping from treetop to treetop, desperately waving to get their attention "Hey Naruto-san, isn't that-"

"Kisa" Naruto finished in surprise, and in a flash he was moving, catching her before she stumbled from the treetop, she looked pale and her eyes were half lidded, she barely seemed to acknowledge that he caught her "Kisa!"

Suddenly she became lucid, a trembling hand grabbed his robes, holding on with whitened knuckles "Naruto-sensei" she whispered hoarsely "Help me"

He felt blood on her stomach, and tearing away the cloth saw large puncture holes the same size as what a kunai would inflict on her abdomen, greenish liquid oozed from them and equally green veins began to appear and expand around the wounds.

Poison

A familiar snake-like Hollow exploded from the trees, its maw open showing serrated teeth stained with blood and oozing green venom. Kisa looked at it in horror, Naruto looked at it as if it where a bug he really wanted to squash. He raised his free arm and whispered a Kido spell.

"_Hado Gojuushi; Haien (Way of Destruction 54: Abolishing Flames)!"_

He swung his free hand and a curved blast of deep purple spiritual pressure escaped from his hand, it struck the approaching Hollow with perfect efficiency and within seconds of contact incinerated it as if it where doused with petrol and set alight. It gave a pitiful scream before falling through the forest canopy, disintegrating before it vanished into the darkness.

"Naruto-sensei" her voice was so weak, so small that he felt a pang which made him forget about the Hollow he just incinerated, she was getting paler and her eyes seemed to become too heavy for her to keep open "I'm sorry…I would have loved to be there…to see you…become Vice-Captain…Naruto-sensei"

"Kisa, hang on…Kisa!!!" she could no longer hear him and with a small serene smile let the darkness take her.

Naruto looked at her still face and with his free hand closed her hollowed eyes. Now she at least looked at peace. Taking a breath to try and calm himself he reached for his communicator. There would be time to mourn the dead later "All units return to the rendezvous point, I repeat all units return to the rendezvous point!"

------

The snake crawled through the tall grass, its target a single figure standing just inside the tree line between the forest and a gap nearly a hundred meters at it's widest. As it approached the figure turned, and the Hollow stopped, rearing itself back until it stood a head taller than the humanoid silhouette. It looked down upon him, hissed and bowed.

The silhouette bubbled with mirth before turning back to look up at the sky, watching the handful of Shinigami hanging in the air as if there were invisible ground beneath their feet. The snake came alongside him, reared back and watched the silhouettes with the smaller creature.

"I will deal with them alone"

It looked to its master, and hissed.

A toothy, predatory smile adorned his face "Hmm, off course you agree, you are a puppet after all"

In a blur he vanished from his place in the trees.

------

Three figures appeared around him, all looking down on Kisa's dead form with a mixture of fear and anger towards the Hollows who had done this to her. She was one of the kindest, most respected and most beloved members of the squad. Her death would hit them all hard.

"Is this all" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Hai Naruto-sensei" one replied, barely able to tear his eyes from the body "They came out of nowhere; we couldn't even sense them until they were right on top of us. They emitted no spiritual pressure, almost like they weren't even there. We are all that remains, the combat squad is gone"

He couldn't see what Kaname's reaction was because of his mask and goggles, but he could feel from his spiritual pressure that he was shocked. He looked down at his second unit leader one last time before picking her up in his arms and handing her to one of his last surviving Patrol Corps members "Get through the gate and alert the Soul Society immediately…and take her with you, I'm not leaving her body here"

"Hai, Naruto-sensei" the new leader said sadly.

He heard the sound of bells and knew that Miyako-sama had opened the Senkaimon. His subordinates looked to him for a moment before nodding and jumping through the two timber gates, following the black Hell Butterfly to the Soul Society. As the doors slowly closed the roars began, unnatural screeches which echoed across the landscape, seemingly coming from every direction.

Together the four remaining Shinigami drew their Zanpakuto and formed the ends of a diamond, each one surveying a quarter of the landscape for any sign of the bastards who had killed off most of the 9th and 2nd squads. They exploded through the trees, dozens of snake-like Hollow, and with a growl resounding in his throat the blonde recognised them as the same breed that had attacked him and his friends during their final examination some six months ago.

"Get ready" Kaien commanded, spreading his legs and holding his sword in a basic kendo stance. They were completely surrounded. He counted twenty, maybe thirty of them and what was worse more could still be prowling below the tree line.

A bang could be heard in the distance, and like someone had turned off a valve the screeches and movements of the Hollows stopped. They all swivelled their heads to see a blackened silhouette in the distance, waist length black hair flying in the wind and arms folded against his chest. They starred right at him for a moment, then turned and fled back into the forest.

The four Shinigami watched the retreating monsters in confusion. Then they all saw the figure, standing thirty meters away from them. Getting a look at his features was impossible from here, but Naruto recognised the form from somewhere. The waist length hair, the sinewy form, the bow seemingly tied around his back. He recognised this silhouette, and the more he thought about it, the more dread he felt.

He heard a hum from their unknown assailant, a mockingly soft sound "Hmm, is this all who has survived?" his voice was soft, yet it carried a chiding, snide undertone to it. By know Naruto felt an incredible chill rise up his spine. Then the spiritual pressure assaulted them, and the former Hokage had to concentrate on remaining on his feet. It felt evil and foul, like a Hollows.

"How disappointing, I expected better from seated officers in the Goteijusantai"

"Who are you?" Kaien asked, taking a step forward, putting himself between the unknown man and his three subordinates.

Soft laughter emanated from the silhouette "You don't need to know, I am not in the habit of introducing myself to trash"

A deep boom could be heard, and he was gone, vanishing in a blur of motion.

"Shunpo" Kaname muttered questioningly before a hand came from nowhere and slapped him on the side of the head. The impact sent him soaring down into the forest, smacking off a sturdy tree and landing in a heap in the middle of a small clearing.

"Don't be ridiculous" the figure said in an amused tone "This is far too advanced to be a lowly Shunpo"

"Tosen-kun" Miyako called in worry, taking a few hurried steps forward. Another low level boom and the figure was in front of her, or rather a meter above her, right foot high in the air, ready to come down and impact the top of her head. She wouldn't be able to block it in time.

There was a blur and the kick was blocked by an unsheathed sword. Kaien stood between their attacker and his shocked wife, teeth gritted as he struggled against the backlash of the strike. Naruto came in, drawing his sword and soaring into the battle, aiming to impale the enemy on his unreleased Zanpakuto. Another boom and he was gone, reappearing several feet away. It was then that he got a good look at their attacker.

His hair was black, his face and exposed flesh was white. His face was long, reminding him a little of Kenpachi's with yellow eyes and sickle like pupils. His body was lean, dressed in a white jacket with a high collar covering most of the bottom half of his face, a pair of trousers and a loincloth with knee high white boots, tied to his back was some kind of white bow of some kind of rope, tied behind the small of his back.

"Orochimaru" Naruto whispered the name like it was a curse.

With a hum he reached out with his right hand, grabbing hold of the zipper to his jacket and pulling it down, showing a white shirt with black around the shoulders underneath. It revealed the bottom half of his face and Naruto could see small blade like protrusions of white running across his cheeks, almost like the remains of scales "Hmm, I was called that once, a long time ago"

"Naruto-kun, who is this" Miyako asked as she gracefully withdrew her Zanpakuto from its sheath "Do you know him from somewhere?"

"Yeah" Naruto ground out, gritting his teeth so hard he could hear them scrape "You could say that. He was once one of the most powerful Ninja in my village. A student of the Third Hokage, and considered a genius scientist and a brilliant tactician, basically a prodigy. A member of the legendary Sannin who turned on his village, Orochimaru, the Snake Lord"

"Hmm, it seems you know the Leaf Villages version of events" the Snake lord said nonchalantly, a grin then came to his face "But that was a lifetime ago boy, and through death I have gained more power than you could possibly imagine. I cannot believe I held it off for so long" he pointed at them with the middle and index fingers of his right hand "Observe"

A small ball of light came into existence, almost like rays of energy flew down from the life energy of the place and solidified in his hand. The ball grew in size, a purple hue which flowed with power and a ferocious hunger to destroy all in its path, with a sick smile Orochimaru whispered "Cero"

It was like an explosion, muffled by a great distance, and then a beam of purple energy exploded forth and came towards them. Just by looking at it Naruto knew that being struck would be fatal. They were just able to dodge. The blast of purple light curved around and slammed into the forest with a detonation which levelled every tree for twenty meters of the impact point.

Looking up the blonde could see Orochimaru coming straight at him, opening their fight with a couple of quick, swinging punches and slaps, quickly the former Hokage crossed his arms across his face in an effort to defend himself. His every counterattack was met with thin air as the Snake Sannin moved in his infamous Nebi fighting style, moving and twisting ones body to avoid an enemy's assault and retaliating with quick punches, kicks and slaps

"Rankle the seas and the skies, Nejibana (Twisted Flower)!"

Water seemed to flow around them, as if they were the tendrils of some living thing which lashed out like the tentacles of an octopus. Orochimaru was forced back as the twisting tendrils of water came for him, jumping back, performing backward somersaults and an impressive spin to avoid the pressurised liquid.

Naruto twisted his head to see Kaien standing beside him, his Zanpakuto taking the form of a cross between a trident and a Chinese Halberd with a jagged, three pronged blade, and a long blue horsetail tassel which whipped about in the wind. They exchanged a glance and the blonde nodded, drawing his blade and holding it in front of him he called his swords release command and the long fishhook of a blade formed in his hands. Both fell into defensive sword fighting stances, waiting for the enemy to come.

"Miyako-chan" Shiba whispered "Stay behind us and be ready to open up the Senkaimon"

She nodded, her own sword unsheathed and held in her slender hands.

Laughter bubbled from the forests below "That's more like it, the released state of your swords are truly impressive sights. How I would like to examine the weapons of high level Shinigami"

"Bastard" Naruto growled "Come out here and face us!!!"

"As you wish Hokage-sama" the last word was spoken in that soft, insulting tone which made Naruto's skin crawl. Then with a boom he appeared before them. A cero already fully charged in his right hand. Together Kaien and Naruto acted, the Vice-Captain releasing a long, flowing tendril of condensed water, the 5th Seat swinging his sword, releasing a dense invisible blade of wind. In the same instant the Snake pointed his hand and released his condensed power.

A beam of purple light struck against the elements of wind and water, jockeying for possession and seemingly stalemated. Then the three powers exploded in a mass of raining water, gale force winds and an explosion which created a huge cloud of burnt air. In a blur Orochimaru was gone, reappearing above Shiba, a foot impacted against the Lieutenants head, sending him falling to the ground below like a meteor.

"Kaien" Miyako screamed.

"Go after him" Naruto called "Get him and Kaname away from here, I'll hold him off!"

The Sannin was only a handful of meters away from him, his reptilian eyes filled with a monstrous hunger. His cheeks puffed out suddenly, like he was about to throw up, a gurgling noise could be heard in the back of his throat. Then he looked up to the heavens, opened his mouth and seemed to gag. The tip of a blade appeared from his mouth, then the blade itself, an oval shaped silver guard, a hilt covered in dark green wrappings with a silver butt. He balanced it on his tongue for a moment, before making a subtle movement. The blade fell into his waiting hand, where he gave it an experimental swish.

"A Zanpakuto?"

"Correct" Orochimaru said, spinning the blade in his right hand "Though it is of a different breed than those frail things you use"

A split seconds warning was all he needed to bring up his sword to block as Orochimaru surged forward. The two blades met with a metallic clang, the power behind his opening strike pushing Naruto back several meters. Laughter bubbled from the Sannin as he attacked the blonde with stroke after stroke, vaguely reminding his opponent of an artist with a paint brush.

------

Nearly fifty miles away from the battle the sky was clear and unblemished. Birds sang their evening songs and a mass of nocturnal animals foraged below the forest canopy. The calm lasted for a second before everything went quiet, animals perked up, sniffing the air, and then ran in every direction. In the tree canopy birds took off, taking flight in hordes and scattering in every conceivable direction.

Something was coming.

The crack in the sky would not have been seen unless you were a few feet away from it, but it grew, seemingly tearing a hole in heaven itself. Slowly the cracks took the form of a closed mouth, two rows of omnivorous teeth clamped together. The huge fissure seemed to heave. Then it opened like the maw of a monster ready to swallow prey. Within was darkness, nothing. Then an insanely powerful spiritual pressure descended on the surrounding area.

A single silhouette elegantly stepped out of the void, tall and lithe with the body of a well endowed female. Even the wind itself seemed to hold its breath for the creature that had graced the forest. She took a deep breath, getting her anger back under control and opened her eyes to reveal shining light green orbs. Turning she shut the maw with a simple wave of her hand and brought her attention to the surrounding area. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she let her senses expand across a large area.

Power was being discharged fifty miles due west of her location, enough to kill any lesser life within a ten mile radius. One was her target. The other four she did not recognise. But two seemed to be unconscious.

"My, my" she said with a sigh, her voice soft, like a beautiful musical melody "What a show off he is"

Opening her eyes again she took off, vanishing in a blur with a thunderous boom.

------

The bastard was laughing hysterically now, his blade continuously seeking to skewer him with swift stabs. Those which could not be blocked or parried were dodged. Breathing raggedly Naruto jumped back and swung his sword, releasing a condensed blade of wind which would have sliced through solid rock with ease. His opponent jumped over the invisible sickle, and continued his assault unfazed.

He jumped back and swung his sword again, a wide blade this time. Orochimaru vanished, reappearing behind him, ready for a swing. The blonde ducked, the blade cutting a few hairs from his head, he then sidestepped as his opponents sword came down, and jumped back when it was redirected for a diagonal stroke.

"Getting tired are we?"

Naruto grinned besides his heavy breathes "Not a chance"

The snake licked his lips with a long tongue "I'm disappointed in a former Hokage, I was expecting something more from the son of the Fourth" a mocking smile crossed his lips "Your holding back boy, I can feel the barely contained rietsu coming off you in waves. Won't you show me just a piece of it?"

"Alright then"

"Hmm"

"I'll show you it" he held the sword with his right hand, his left pointed towards Orochimaru palm up, he reeled the blade back, preparing for a swing. He wasn't sure if he had mastered this technique yet, he had been able to unleash it, but half the time it just blew up in his face.

"_At last you can fire it, although a little shakily" Kazerasshu said with a little pride "I'm impressed, you got done in one session when I thought it would take ten"_

_He looked up and saw to his surprise that the house before him gained hundreds of minuscule cracks, and then it collapsed in on itself. For hours he had fought Kazerasshu, trying to release the attack his sword had been hinting at. Had he just done it?_

"_Listen to me Naruto" his sword said firmly as he floated down and touched the ground "The power of such a technique is augmented greatly when you know its name, so listen up, for I'm only going to say this once"_

_He listened intently._

"_The name is-"_

With a deep breathe he opened his eyes to reveal oceanic orbs stained with crimson. Wind became visible, circling around his huge blade like a miniature tornado with his sword acting like its eye. He swung the sword and a powerful blade of condensed air, stronger than any he had fired before exploded forth. It was so dense that it was clearly visible as a long sickle like form of pure, unhindered energy. It travelled with such speed that Orochimaru could barely raise a finger.

"Ten no Kaze (Heavenly Wind)!!!"

When it struck the Sannin it seemed to bend around him, then explode in a mass of howling wind and smoke, followed by a strangled cry. With a slight swing of his sword the smoke was picked up by a wind current and dispersed. His eyes widened in surprise. Orochimaru was still standing. He was doubled over, his breath leaving him in shrill gasps, clothes shredded, exposed flesh covered in lacerations.

"Curse you" he whispered hoarsely "Curse you, you insect. I will destroy you!!!"

He spun his sword in his hand so fast that it looked like a disk, incredibly dense spiritual pressure encompassing his form like a raging fire. He spun around, bringing his sword to a stop, pointed towards the blonde's heart.

"Hiss, Rey Del-"

Before he could finish a spiritual pressure ten times his fell upon the area, this time Naruto did come down to a knee, using every ounce of pride and strength to stop himself from falling to the ground below. The new power even made Orochimaru stop in his tracks. There was a blur and another silhouette appeared directly behind him, a slender hand gripping the blade of the snake Sannin's Zanpakuto.

"You have overstepped yourself, Orochimaru"

He looked back with a snarl "Nelliel Tu Oderschvank"

The woman standing behind him was tall and, besides the situation Naruto could tell by her skin tight white battledress that she was very well formed. Her long, unkempt light green hair stretched down to her waist, her skin was olive coloured, a long crimson line stretching from cheek to cheek. Hazel eyes which were piercing and almost eerily calm starred stoically into the snakes without flinching. The remains of a mask were present on the top of her head, the top half of a demonic skull with an upper jaw of sharp teeth and two curved horns.

"This game is over" she spoke, her voice sweetly musical yet calm and stoic.

"Oh, and what game might that be" Orochimaru asked with that sickeningly calm mirth filled voice of his "I thought our lord wouldn't mind a few less Shinigami to worry about"

"He told you to leave them alone" was her answer, her hand still gripping the snake's blade "And to let him worry about the Shinigami"

"Ah yes now I remember" was the Sannin's reply "But I got so bored"

She glared at him for a moment, before raising her free hand "We're leaving"

"As you wish _Tres_ _Espada_"

She frowned but paid him no more attention, a crack formed across the sky itself and Naruto could only look on in shock as it took the form of a closed mouth, which opened the reveal nothing but a black abyss beyond. Silently the woman stepped through the opening, followed a second later by Orochimaru himself. It was that which snapped him out of his shock.

"Where the hell do you think you're going you damn snake" he snarled "Get back here, we're not finished yet!!!"

The Sannin turned to him, watching him as the Gargantua began to close "Oh I believe we are. Use your head boy you just got a reprieve, if she hadn't have showed up I would have killed you" at that the mouth snapped shut and seemed to vanish.

Naruto watched the empty space for what seemed like an eternity. Then a hand softly gripped his shoulder. He turned to see Miyako, using her body to hold up both her husband and Tosen. She looked him over worriedly.

"Are you alright" she asked.

"No" Naruto replied, looking up at the sky "No, I'm not"

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed on this story so far, I honestly wasn't expecting this big a reception. So far the story has received over 40,000 hits, is on 23 C2's (A new record for my stories by far), on the favourite list of 257 fanfiction members and on the alert list of 289. Thank you to everyone who is paying attention to this, I am humbled by your support, silent or otherwise.**


	13. Stand up, be Stronger

_**Chapter 12**_

_**Stand up, be Stronger**_

_Music_

_Baddest Presentiment; Bleach OST, Shadows Close in; Bleach OST, Grief and Sorrow; Naruto OST_

The hallways of Las Noches always seemed to stretch on forever, it was nearly impossible to see the other end of one of the main corridors because of the distance. The ceiling of these hallways was nearly a hundred meters high, held up by incredibly thick pillars of solid marble. Like the pillars the floor was made of the same material, and seemed to shine dully in the low light of the grand fortresses underground chambers.

The throne room itself was a huge creation, with enough room to hold a division of soldiers. Half of the chamber was made of nothing but solid marble floors and white walls. The other half was that of a large platform accessible through a series of white steps, at the top was a large white throne with a back which easily stretched up three meters.

"This is interesting" Orochimaru said as he entered.

Within the chamber was at least twenty figures all covered in the deep shadows which seemed to radiate from the pillars and walls, all starring at him with a mixture of calculating, bored or down right murderous eyes. The energy in the room was so dense that it was almost palpable. Such is the price for bringing the most powerful Arrancar of Las Noches together.

"What's this?" the Snake said with a chuckle "Are all of you here because of little old me?"

"How I would love to smack that smirk of your face" Cirucci Thunderwitch, the 5th Espada growled in annoyance.

"Remain calm Cirucci" Gentenbainne Mosqueda, the 6th Espada cautioned.

"Yeah woman, there's no need to get your panties in a twist" Nnoitra Jiruga, the 8th added with that murderous smirk.

"Bite me Nnoitra" Thunderwitch spat, her spiritual pressure rising by several levels, letting everyone know that she was not in a good mood.

Nelliel sighed as she walked past Orochimaru to her place among the most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo. It wasn't just the Espada, others where here as well. She recognised several of the older Numeros among them, as well as several new arrivals Aizen had recently placed within their ranks.

Coyote Starrk seemed as bored as ever, looking torn between remaining awake and trying to fall asleep while standing up. If he could she knew the Primera, the 1st Espada, would in a heartbeat. Baraggan Luisenbarn, the former king of Hueco Mundo and the 2nd Espada was frowning at the Snake Sannin, whatever else he was thinking she could only guess. Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio, the 4th, was watching as Nnoitra and Cirucci continued their rant.

A powerful spiritual pressure fell upon the audience chamber, and in unison they all looked up to see that their ruler had arrived, silently settling into his throne before any of them had noticed him. He leaned back, right hand reaching up to remove his wide rimmed glasses and to smooth back his hair. He then looked down at all in attendance, making eye contact with every one.

"Good evening" he said in a soft and calm voice, so quiet that many would wonder how they could hear it from where they were standing "It appears that we have had a small problem, this will be addressed" he gazed at Orochimaru "I would like to hear your excuse, _Septima Espada_"

"Research my lord" was the 7th Espada's reply "While I was fighting the Shinigami I was also gathering data on their anatomy"

"And why would you do that?"

"For the Hollowfication process" Orochimaru replied, there was no need to sugarcoat it, every Arrancar here knew of the research "The more I know about the inner workings of a Shinigami the more likely the chance of us making successful hybrids. As you know the experiments with Shinigami have been one failure after another, the two forms cannot cohesively merge and the test subjects simply turn to ash"

"Hmm" Aizen hummed, that same calm smile spread across his face "Go on"

"We need strong subjects, captain-level at best. The stronger the individual, the more likely it will be for the Hollowfication to be successful, as well as to try and make sure they remain adequate warriors and not feral beasts" he licked his lips with a long, forked tongue "As you know any Shinigami who survived the process become nothing more than mindless drones, useless in every regard. That was the reason for my little trip. I needed bodies to perform research upon"

"And you gained these bodies"

"Quite a few, enough for me to continue"

"And your skirmish with the seated officers?"

He waved it aside "One of the targets escaped, although she died from her wounds. My drones were in pursuit, and came into contact with the seated officers. I felt I needed to intervene"

"You felt like spilling blood, Orochimaru"

He bowed his head "Yes Aizen-sama"

"I am displeased" a spike of spiritual pressure assaulted him, forcing him down to a knee "Because of your bloodlust the Goteijusantai knows of the existence of Arrancar far sooner than I had planned, and because I had to send Nelliel to retrieve you they now have an idea of how strong you all can be"

Orochimaru's eyes were opened in terror, this mans power was greater than any he had encountered, and the murderous intent radiating from him made the White Snake feel like a child in the presence of a god "F-forgive m-me, my l-lord"

Just like that the pressure left and Aizen stood from his chair "Let this be a lesson Orochimaru, now continue your research"

"Yes Aizen-sama" the Sannin replied, a sheen of sweat running along his face.

He rose gracefully from his chair and looked away "Starrk, Barragan, Nelliel. A moment of your time please"

Gritting his teeth Orochimaru balled up his fist as the Espada filed out of the chamber, cursing Aizen and his power. He cursed Nelliel for interrupting his fight. If he had been able to kill those Shinigami then nothing would have come of it. How he hated that woman and her soft ways, she reminded him so much of that blasted old fool Sarutobi that he wanted to slit her throat.

"Hey are you going to kneel there all day?"

He glared up at that annoyingly mocking voice.

The 8th grinned "Seems like we both have a problem"

"What is that?"

"That bitch, Nelliel"

He growled dangerously at her name

"Thought so" the Octa replied "Walk with me, I want to talk with you about something"

------

The entire 2nd Division had been in attendance for the funeral, two hundred and fifty guardsmen, as well as the five branches of the Omnitsukido had assembled from across the Soul Society. Kaien and Miyako had arrived as well to pay their respects. In front of them were ten coffins, some holding the bodies of those lost just yesterday, others were empty as the bodies had never been found. He looked at the pictures set on top of the coffins and felt his stomach knot.

Kisa's body had been cleaned for the funeral, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed. White flowers of mourning covered her form, all from members of the Patrol Corps. Naruto choked back a sob and berated himself. How many times had he seen his comrades die in the line of duty? He had made many such decisions as the Hokage. He was a fool to think that death wasn't possible here.

The service had been well performed and after the coffins had been lowered into the earth it was over. Slowly the division filed out one by one. Many members of the Patrol Corps had stayed for a while, before leaving themselves. Eventually only Naruto remained, starring at the line of coffins, waiting to be buried.

_A knock on the door made him look up "Come in"_

_He smiled when he saw them enter, both fully dressed in their new Patrol attire, both looking nervous as hell to be in their commander's quarters. Smiling Naruto rose from his chair "Thank you for coming"_

_Zero nodded his head, Kisa mirrored, albeit more nervously. He expected as much. Zero was a member of the Fon clan, well known for their assassins and their long running service to the Shihoin clan. By contrast Kisa was like Rangiku, an orphan found in the slums and placed in the Shinigami academy, she had proved to be the best scout in her year and shepherded into the Patrol Corps._

"_Um, Naruto-sama" Kisa asked timidly "Did we do anything wrong?"_

_He looked at her questioningly "Why would you think that?"_

_She looked about nervously, and was visibly relieved when Zero answered instead "Forgive her Naruto-sama, usually when a fairly fresh recruit like herself is called to the commander's office it's usually to be shouted at"_

"_I see" Naruto replied, hiding a smile "Well you can relax Kisa, I haven't called you here to punish you" she seemed to let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding "But, just for curiosities sake, what did you do?"_

"_Um" she began with a stutter, before sighing "You know that black cat, the one which goes around stealing guardsmen's belongings?"_

_He smiled as said cat jumped up on his shoulder and purred "You mean this cat?"_

"_Yes" she said, before steeling herself "I was dared by the other members of the division to…um…nail the main cat flap shut"_

_At that the small black cat looked up from its grooming, looked the young guardswomen in the eyes and growled dangerously. He had seen a bump on its head a few days ago, and it had been mulling about for a few days after._

"_I see" Na__ruto replied, before sniggering to the surprise of the cat, at its look he shrugged "You should have known that someone would try and get you back"_

"_So am I in trouble?"_

_The cat looked up to Naruto, almost to psychically say __**yes**__, but to its surprise the commander shook his head "Nah, I'll just let you go with a verbal warning" at that he winked mischievously "Don't do it again"_

_She nodded, and seemed to relax. _

"_The real reason I brought you two here is because of this" he opened a drawer and pulled out two pendants "These are yours" he said, tossing them at his two subordinates, they both caught them on instinct and looked at them, their eyes widening in realization "Congratulations, you__ are hereby the squad leaders of the 1__st__ and 2__nd__ units"_

"_Um, Naruto-sama" Kisa asked uncertainly "I can understand Zero-san getting a position, but why me? There are other more experienced members of the Corps"_

"_They're all idiots" the blonde said, waving them off "Not one of them has the talent to lead, but I've been watching you two, I have seen how good you both are at leading a squad. You both deserve those badges"_

_Both bowed deeply, speaking in unison "Thank you, Naruto-sama"_

"_You may both go" he said, sitting back down. They turned to leave, only to be stopped at the door by his voice "And one more thing!"_

"_Yes" _

"_Call me Naruto"_

_As they left the cat looked up to him and growled, before jumping past him to the windowsill and hopping out to the courtyard. For some reason after that Yoruichi-sensei didn't talk to him for a week._

A drop of rain hit his nose and he looked up to see dark grey clouds encompass the usually blue sky. The rain started as a couple of drops, but within a moment it became a torrent, soaking him to the bone within seconds. He didn't care. He remained where he was, watching the coffins.

_They had all done well. Every squad had shown vast improvement in the few months since he had made commander. By now any dispute about his position had been silenced, everyone saw how him being in command was good for the corps. _

_But out of all the units the 1__st__ and 2__nd__ were always the best. Kisa had grown from a nervous young girl to a strong and confident woman, her unit loved her, and the rest of the squad saw her as a symbol of what could be achieved with the right instruction. Her strong will and stubbornness to never abandon a teammate had earned her renown. He could tell that making her a squad leader did wonders for her abilities and confidence._

_His opinion of Zero being a brilliant squad leader was correct, like Kisa he was stubbornly determined to get the job done as efficiently as possible, with as little casualties as possible. His unwavering ability with the sword and inept accuracy with thrown weapons made him feared by the other branches and respected by the corps. He only let the mask slip in front of the other members of unites one and two, himself and Kisa._

_He was in the middle of a formation, Zero and his squad flanking him as they seemed to glide towards their enemy. The Hollows looked up to the five Shinigami and, howling angrily jumped to attack._

_His sword reeled back the commander delivered a devastating swing, cleaving a bull-like Hollows tusk mask from ear to ear. He turned as his first target deteriorated, unleashing a slight burst of wind upon a charging Mantis-Hollow, cutting it to ribbons before it got within five meters of him. _

_He let his guard down, a third Hollow lashed out with its long, curved claws. Those claws were met with tempered seal. When Naruto turned he saw Zero right behind him, holding up the three pronged claw with his own sword. Quickly the commander jumped over his subordinate in a slow somersault and swung his sword, neatly beheading the reptilian creature._

_As he landed he looked to Zero and nodded his thanks, his second in command nodded back before turning and charging the next Hollow in line._

A single tear ran down his cheek, he couldn't take his eyes off the coffins or the pictures set on them. Zero looking disgruntled at being forced to take a picture. Kisa smiling softly, the eight members of their squads, they all seemed to be looking at him. Almost as if to say that it was his fault.

Maybe it was.

A hand gripped his shoulder softly and he turned his head to see Sakura, her emerald eyes looking at him in worry "You'll catch cold if you stay out here"

"I'll be along in a minute" Naruto said quietly.

She felt her heart tug painfully at the grief-stricken expression on his face. She could have told him that it wasn't his fault, but she knew he wouldn't believe her. So instead she placed her arms around him, holding him tightly, he put a hand on her arm and let his tears fall with the rain.

------

"I knew I'd find you here"

He looked up to see Yoruichi standing a few feet away from him, frowning. He had spent the night with Sakura, vanishing the next day and finding a place to sit and think on top of Sokyoku hill, looking over the entirety of the Soul Society. Usually when he was unsure about anything he would come here. It usually helped, not now.

"I'd rather be alone Yoruichi-sensei"

"Well, tough luck" his captain replied as she walked up and sat beside him, for a while they both looked out over the Soul Society, not a word spoken between them. After a moment she sighed "How long are you going to mope?"

"What do you want me to say" he all but shouted, his voice a hollow whisper "I took my best people into that forest. I sent them out to scout and because of my incompetence they were all killed" he looked down at his division badge "I resign, I'm unfit for command"

She smacked him on the back of the head, growling like a feral lioness "How the hell could you have known that monster would be out there. I read the reports Naruto from all the survivors, their surprise was perfect, they didn't release any spiritual pressure at all. There wasn't a damn thing you could have done" He looked at her in shock "You want to quit because a few people died. Against the Hollows it is war, people die in war no matter how hard you try to protect them!"

"Didn't you ever lose people precious to you?"

She sighed "Of course I did, the first time I lost people under my command I felt just as you did"

"How did you deal with it?"

She seemed to think for a moment "I promised myself that I would never forget the names of those I lost, I would keep them with me in my head and in my heart"

"That's all?"

She chuckled sadly "I also started taking a liking to Sake" he remained silent "Look Naruto in our line of work things like this happen, you lose the people you work with, eat with, drink with, train with, sleep with. You lose people who become as close to you as brothers, sisters, lovers…but you need to remember that they will always be there, in your memories, and in your heart"

He nodded.

"Didn't you lose people when you were the Hokage?"

"I did" he replied "But I guess a new life makes you forget things like mourning the dead and the hurt that comes with losing people you care about" he let out a long breath and looked up to the sky "I'm going soft in my old age"

The two of them sat in silence, and after a moment Yoruichi rose from her place "I'm due back, Soifon will nag if I don't get the paperwork done"

"Sure thing" Naruto replied "And Yoruichi"

"Yes"

"Thanks"

She smiled "Anytime kid" she vanished in a blur as she shunpo'd away, _anytime_

------

The Sotaicho calmly set the report down on his mahogany desk and caste his gaze upon the man he had asked to give the report. Kaien Shiba certainly looked worse for ware. He had suffered from several injuries thanks to his fight against this unknown assailant, including cracked ribs and a mild concussion.

"So, you are certain of this"

"Hai Sotaicho" Shiba replied respectfully "The Hollow were well organized and caught the patrol and combat squads completely by surprise. Casualties were high. But the worst of it all was that man, the one who seemed to have control over them"

He suddenly felt a great weight press against his shoulders. The commander in chief was looking at him intently, giving him a hundred percent of his attention "Describe him to me"

Surprised Kaine reiterated what was in his report "He was dressed in white, with scale like markings on his face and neck, almost like they were bone or the fragments of a mask. He held a Zanpakuto, and it seemed that he was about to release it before the other one arrived to stop him. He was able to use techniques and attacks that you would expect from a Menos Grande, most notably Cero, as well as being capable of using a variant of Shunpo. From his spiritual pressure he was Captain-level at least"

"And the other one?"

"Her spiritual pressure was almost overwhelming, at least as strong as a higher level Captain" Shiba explained, then managed a mischievous smile "Plus she was very cute"

"Lieutenant" Yamamoto said warningly.

"Sorry" the Shiba apologized, then became dead serious again "If she hadn't have intervened when she did then there would have probably been four more body bags"

"Hmm"

"Sotaicho, I know I am probably overstepping my boundaries, but I have a feeling you know what they are"

"I do"

"Nearly ten years ago our scouts in Hueco Mundo found evidence of anomalies within the Hollow" Kaien turned to see his Captain, Joshiro Ukitake walk into the Captain-Commanders office with a grim expression, the commander didn't try to stop him "Or to be more specific, they found beings whose power and spiritual pressure are way above the norm" he looked to his lieutenant "You know of the Menos Grande?"

"I do" Kaien replied with a nod "They are giant Hollows who appear from time to time. They are said to hold vast reserves of spiritual pressure but are rare. Usually when one appears they are left to the Royal Guard, or Captain-level Shinigami"

"We have found evidence of these Hollows evolving"

"Evolving?"

"We call them Arrancar" Yamamoto spoke up "They are extremely powerful Hollow who have shattered their masks and gained the powers of a Shinigami, it is said that the strongest of them are on par with a Captain"

"On par, with a Captain" Kaien repeated the words with a mix of disbelief and horror.

"But they are very rare and from the few we have surveyed they are usually solitary creatures" Ukitake added "We decided to hold back and leave them alone, they never seem to have any interest in the living world"

"Well there were two of them in the real world" Shiba growled "And by the way they were interacting they seemed to be working together, in face the woman seems to have been the snake handler's superior officer"

"What did she say to him?"

"She told him he had overstepped himself. That he was ordered to leave us alone" his brow furrowed "This could mean that several of them have gathered together and are cooperating"

"A worst case scenario" the 13th Division Captain muttered, before turning to his sensei "What should we do Sotaicho"

"Put a retreat on sight command for those two to anyone below the rank of a Lieutenant" Genryusai said with empathy "Triple the surveillance of the Hollow world…beyond that there isn't much we can do"

------

It was a few days before he gained the strength to visit the memorial again, by now the coffins had been buried into the ground and the names of those lost had been etched into the stone monolith. It was one of several dotted around the graveyard, with the names and ranks of those lost in battle. At the top of each marble memorial was inscribed the phrase.

'_To those who fought and died in the service of the Omnitsukido__'_

Sakura, Shikimaru and Temari had come with him for emotional support. The pink haired girl placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, which he turned and smiled softly. He took a few steps forward and starred at the ten new names, silently saying his goodbyes and making each of them a promise.

He would get stronger, he would not fail again.

"_You better not Naruto-sensei"_ it sounded like Kisa's voice

"_We'll be watching you Naruto-sama" _that one sounded like Zero's

_I'm sorry; _he thought _I am so sorry_

"_Quit with the apologies, we all know it wasn't your fault. Just give that snake bastard a good one two for us"_ Kisa's voice chastised

"_Agreed"_ Zero's voice added.

_I will__; _he didn't know if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but he made the promise anyway, because he had every intention of keeping it.

There was a blur of motion and a howling of wind and Naruto turned to see the entire force of the Patrol Corps standing behind him, all starring at the memorial, silently saying their goodbyes to friends lost. He looked to his new second in command, Jet. The lean man looked to Naruto and nodded respectfully, with a small smile Naruto returned the respectful nod.

The Patrol Corps stood in silence, saying their last goodbyes to their brothers and sisters in arms.

------

"_We have been training for eight hours"_

"_I know"_

"_Do you wish to continue?"_

_He looked up at his sword and saw the handful of kunai sticking out of his hands like three clawed fingers. He forced himself up to his feet, ignoring the blood spilling onto the cracked floor. Falling into a stance, sword ready to defend "Yes"_

"_Very well" Kazerasshu said and threw the Kunai. He recognized the fluttering form of a paper bomb tied to the back of the blade to the far left._

* * *

_**Spoilers for Bleach; do not read unless you already know.**_

_**I must admit, for a while I considered that Tite Kubo was losing his edge with the Manga, not with Ichigo, but with the Gotei 13. I mean the monumental way the Espada's top three lost to the Captains was a little…I don't know, very good guys far superior to bad guys, even though early on it was pointed out that the Vasto Lorde were stronger than a Captain.**_

_**Shunsui vs. Starrk was pretty awesome, and the Zanpakuto release was a welcome and awesome surprise, but I was hoping that the Primera would at least take a few down with him before he croaked. I mean he was the 1**__**st**__** Espada, the Primera, the most powerful of them all (Minus Yammy when he becomes no. 0). It was a shame too, I liked Starrk.**_

_**Soifon vs. Barragan was okay, I was honestly expecting her to lose the fight, especially when I saw his specialty, and in a way she did. Then the Vizored Kido caster showed up, okay the Vizoreds introduction was awesome but Kubo has made a last second save too much of a habit for his story.**_

_**Toshiro vs. Harribel was a cool fight as well. Forget that Tia Harribel is my favorite Espada. The fight would have been one of the best in my book, and even when the Vizored showed up she still looked like she would make a good fight out of it before being taken down. Then Aizen stabbed her in the back. I really hate that man. If she had died in battle with her head held high then I wouldn't have minded as much, as long as she went out with honor. But being stabbed in the back by your commander because her two superiors were killed was a little, well; I don't know what it was. **_

_**Even though it looks like she's dead I'm not so sure for two reasons. One, usually a Hollow is disintegrated when cleansed by a Zanpakuto. She didn't disintegrate, she fell. Then there's the lack of a look into her past, like Starrk and Barragan before they died. So for know I'm sticking with the belief that she ain't dead, even though everyone seems to believe that she is. Same goes for Starrk for reason one. I didn't see him disintegrate either.**_

_**Anyway, rant over.**_


	14. Recién Nacido

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Recién Nacido**_

She had only been in this chamber a handful of times. It was a large compartment, dim lighting casting great shadows throughout. Across the length and breadth of the hall were large platforms of varying heights, from a meter to ten. Standing, crouching and sitting on these platforms where other high level Arrancar, most of which were newborns.

In the centre of the room was Aizen, peering over a huge translucent inverted pyramid with a yellowish tint. Within the pyramid was a humanoid feminine form, on its knees with its arms stretched out, and completely covered in white bandages. Beside her Starrk vanished, reappearing on top of a set of black steps at the other side of the chamber. Barragan walked down the steps and came to a stop in front of the nearest platform, leaning against the smooth wall.

Nelliel looked around and saw one of her students on one of the midlevel platforms, stooping down and watching Aizen with a calculated eye. She Sonido'd up to the platform and sat down beside the younger Arrancar, her legs dangling over the precipice.

"You were called Tia-chan?"

Tia Harribel looked over to her, that same calm and stoic face still in place. One of the newer Arrancar she had been placed under Nel's wing to train her in how to master and control her abilities. Tia had a quiet beauty about her, her long messy blonde hair and eye lashes in stark contrast to her dark skin. Her green eyes were piercing. Her body as voluptuous as her own and her choice of attire showed off her greater attributes very, very well.

"Yes, Nel-sama" she said with a respectful bow "Aizen-sama asked for my presence"

"Thank you all for coming" Aizen spoke calmly "Now we can begin the ceremony"

No one knew how their lord was able to change Menos Grande to Arrancar, even the most studious and scientific of the Espada could not find out how he did it. Nelliel considered that he used a small device he called a neo-Hogyoku, a replica of some other device he could not obtain. The device would react to a mass release of his spiritual pressure and then disintegrate when the Shinigamification process started.

After a few moments the inverted pyramid cracked, small ones at first which grew until they encompassed the entire shape. The form shattered into hundreds of pieces sending a mass of dust in every direction. The strips of cloth shredded and fell from the body, revealing a young looking woman with long dark blue hair, light lavender coloured eyes and pale skin, her naked form was that of a well formed young women, although not nearly as voluptuous as herself and Harribel. Looking at her closer Nel could see the remains of her Hollow mask as a necklace of teeth around her neck.

"Can you tell me your name" he asked, looking down on her with a small smile "New comrade"

"My name?" was her reply, looking around to see all of the other forms surrounding her and immediately looking afraid "I don't…know my name"

"I see" Aizen replied, looking a little disappointed.

"Poor thing" Harribel muttered "It's not unusual for a newborn to not know her name"

"Yeah" she replied, her eyes not leaving their new recruit "The fact that she doesn't know her name means that she hasn't been a Menos Grande long. But by her power she is definitely not a Gillian, more like an Adjuchas"

"But she doesn't feel that old" Harribel pointed out "In fact she feels as young as a newly born Hollow, barely a half decade…six years at most"

"He might have forced her growth" Nel thought out loud "I've seen him do it, although with little success. He's been doing research in increasing the speed of a Hollows growth, forcing them to form into a Gillian and then to an Adjuchas. I heard that any Gillian he created was always the less intelligent types, not the ones able to evolve"

"Apparently he has had some success"

"So it seems" Nelliel agreed before rising to her feet and stepping over the edge, landing on the floor and walking towards the scene like she had taken a normal step. She passed Aizen and stooped down beside the girl. She was frowning in concentration, brow furrowed, eyes starring on the floor. She was really trying to remember her name.

Nel Tu had to physically stop herself from crying Kawai and hugging her. Placing a hand on her shoulder she made the young girl look at her, lavender eyes met hazel and refused to shift, she smiled at the newborn "Do you know your name?"

She tried again, her brow furrowing further, but it could be seen in the girl's eyes. She was about to panic. Nel saw it and acted. She squeezed the girls shoulder; regaining her attention "How about I give you a name?" she rose and made a thoughtful expression, taking a few steps back and forth "How about Rafaela, Rafaela Hasiasol?"

The girl seemed to think about it, pressing her two index fingers together and just seemed to notice her lack of clothing. With a squeak of surprise she covered her breasts and pelvis with her hands, looking around nervously. Nelliel forced herself not to laugh, a modest Arrancar? Go figure.

"Could someone bring her a cloak please" Aizen asked softly and waited as a servant ran out of them and, bowing handed the cloak to Nel who draped it over _Rafaela's_ slender shoulders "You'll be taking this one in?"

"Hai, Aizen-sama"

"Very well" her master replied "I leave her in your care, Nelliel"

With that he turned and walked away, all around them the other Arrancar began to one by one vanish in a blur of motion. Harribel was the last to leave, nodded to her teacher before vanishing in a Sonido. Nel looked around before turning to the girl "Come on, lets go"

"Hai" Rafaela squeaked before standing and rushing to her, looking incredibly nervous as she stayed by her side. Nelliel looked down and managed a small smile. The girl was so cute, especially when she was flustered.

------

The throne room was situated upon a tower at the very top of Las Noches, overlooking the vast desert, dotted by rickety, crystalline trees which made the surface of Hueco Mundo. He walked to the centre of the large room, its floor covered by black marble tiles and thick pillars holding up a ceiling fifty meters high. Huge open spaces showed the world beyond, the black starless sky and the single huge shape of the crescent moon. At the end of the chamber was a platform with a single, white, high backed throne sitting in the centre, huge marble steps leading up to the podium.

"Interesting how you have not summoned Arrancar for this ceremony"

He turned to see his young associate, Gin Ichimaru, newly made 3rd Seat of 5th Division, leaning against the far wall. A youngster, maybe ten or eleven years old he was already a seasoned killer with spiritual pressure which, if nurtured properly, could become Captain-level before too long. He was an unusual child with silver hair, eyes which he narrowed into slits and a mocking smile.

"There is no need to Gin"

"Yet you summoned them for the other" Ichimaru continued, pressing himself away from the wall and walking towards his master "Out of all your experiments only two had proven successful, one you showed to the Arrancar and yet for the other…"

"She has potential yes" Aizen replied, eyeing his subordinate coolly "But compared to this one" he raised his hand to the inverted pyramid in the centre, a crucified form on its knees and covered in white bandages prostrated within "this one is at least three times more powerful than the girl"

"Now I'm interested" Gin said with a grin "That means that, if properly raised, he could become high Espada level. Maybe a match for me or Tosen"

"It's too early to tell Gin" Sosuke chastised lightly "But that is my hope"

A blur of motion and another appeared in the throne, sitting upon the third step down from the throne, his Zanpakuto leaning against his shoulder.

"Ah you made it Tosen"

"Hai Aizen-sama"

"So, how is he progressing?"

"Incredibly quickly" his subordinate answered "His power has already tripled since he graduated the academy, a match for any Vice-Captain in the Gotei. He has become fluent in Kido, able to caste spells in the mid fifties without the incantation, he already has a basic grasp of Shunpo, and able to call upon the powers of his sword. His special technique is frightening and I fear that is only the edge of what he can do"

"I see"

"His growth rate is terrifying"

"Do you fear him, Tosen?"

The man turned to Gin, and even with his mask and goggles in place they both could feel his agitation "Of course, at this rate in another decade he will be Captain-level" he set his gaze to Aizen "He is dangerous my lord"

"I agree"

"Then why don't we take him out of the equation before he becomes too powerful"

"I would like to try and recruit him. Hopefully this incident will bring him to our way of thinking"

"And if it doesn't"

Sosuke Aizen shrugged "It makes no difference. If he becomes a threat then we eliminate him, there are others"

"The other Biju you mean" Tosen shook his head slowly "Impossible, they have hidden themselves deep within the bowels of Hueco Mundo. Any Arrancar we send to hunt them does not return"

"Hmm" Aizen hummed "But that only proves the acceleration of their growth. It is highly likely that they have become Adjuchas, or even Vasto Lorde level Hollow in barely half a decade" once again he had his subordinates complete attention "If so then it is all the more reason to approach them with caution. Only one of us or an Espada can challenge a Biju and hope to live to tell the tale"

He turned and walked to the centre of the room, looking down upon the crucified form within the transparent shape. He raised his hand and set it on the object, a Neo-Hogyoku in his hand. He concentrated his spiritual pressure, and the small device shattered, followed by small cracks along the length and breadth of the inverted pyramid. A few seconds later the object exploded, the cloth covering the form tore and shredded.

"Can you tell me your name, comrade?"

The young man within looked up at him with the most distinct pair of eyes he had ever seen. They had crimson irises, with three small, black tomoe like shapes. Those eyes held power, and Aizen could swear that this newborn could see straight through him.

------

Soifon was disappointed in herself, no, disappointed was not the proper word, she was furious at herself, she hated herself. She had been on a reconnaissance mission with Yoruichi-sama, and had been caught by a Hollow, if her commander hadn't have been there then she would have died. Why was she so weak, she was one of her Honour guard, she was being groomed for a high rank in the division, and yet she allowed a simple Hollow to catch her by surprise?

She had to admit, although it had been a little embarrassing to be caught training in the middle of the night by Lady Yoruichi she had enjoyed the instruction that her captain had given her, and she considered it a pleasure to be able to be a _little sister _to her idle. She forced herself not to skip in her step.

But the joy had been short lived, for the very next day Yoruichi-sama had been called away on business. She was supposed to school Soifon in swordsmanship and hand to hand training, not to mention helping her understand her Zanpakuto. What was worse was the replacement she had sought out for her. She had a feeling that her sensei was having a private laugh about this.

"_Why does it have to be __**him**__?" she had growled childishly, forgetting herself for a moment and berating herself for it, she fell to a knee "Forgive me my lady, I just feel that being put under that man's tutelage is unnecessary"_

_She could clearly see the mirth dancing in her lady's golden eyes "Soifon, I'm going to be away on business, there's a captains meeting I can't afford to miss. You need a trainer who knows what your going through and who can school you through it properly"_

"_I'm willing to wait" she said simply._

"_And instead of it taking you a few months it will probably take you a few years" her mistress replied "I won't be able to give you the tutelage you need all the time, I have other responsibilities" she looked Soifon in the eyes "Do I have to make it an order?"_

_Soifon looked horrified "No, Yoruichi-sam., I apologise for my outburst"_

_Her captain smiled that smile that made her blush "Good"_

She came to his door and, taking a deep breath and trying to dispel her irritation knocked.

"Come in"

She entered the small office, stood at attention and spoke "Soifon, reporting for training"

"Ah, you're early"

She looked up to see him at his desk, writing his signature on a final few documents and setting them on top of a pile. It had been three months since that disaster with his corps which had cost the lives of his best men and women, and in that time he had slowly recovered emotionally from the loss of his subordinates. Still didn't smile as much though, and she surprised herself by finding that she missed it.

"Do you want to take a seat Soifon-chan" he said "It'll only take a few minutes"

Dispelling a bout of irritation at _chan_ being added to her name she nodded and, walking further into her rivals domain plopped herself down on a chair at the other side of his desk. Watching as he opened documents, read a few important details, signed them, and placed them on a steadily rising finished pile.

She studied his face, and found that when he wasn't cracking that face splitting grin he was actually quite handsome, youthful yet rugged with the whisker like markings on his cheeks. Blonde hair had grown a little; becoming a little messier. Blue eyes were piercing and vibrant. After a few minutes he sighed, signing his name on a last document and putting it on the pile, before bringing his oceanic eyes upon her.

"So, I hear that you want special training"

She suppressed a huff "Of course, I want to become stronger so that I can be more help to Yoruichi-sama"

He smiled slightly. It wasn't that goofy grin but a simple smile "Glad to hear it, because I'm not the type to hold back on a student, and I'm guessing that by your loyalty to Yoruichi-sensei that you are determined in this" he rose from his chair and walked towards the door "Come with me, we will start immediately"

-------

They had come to a large clearing, several kilometres outside of the Seireitei and far enough away from prying eyes. Soifon looked up at the towering trees and lush foliage surrounding her, and then looked down at the small, flattened grass at her feet. The clearing was fifty meters from one end to the other.

"So Soifon" Naruto began "How far along are you in knowing the name of your Zanpakuto?"

"I can hear a voice" she replied grudgingly "But I still can't hear her name, every time she says her name its like she suddenly becomes mute"

"I see" the blonde replied "Well for that subject the best I can do is teach you a few methods of meditation"

"Meditation" she asked dubiously.

"Yes meditation" he reiterated "To be able to clear and calm your mind, to be able to put aside all distraction. It is only then that the spirit pulls you into your inner world and converses with you, your best option is through that"

"I knew this would be a waste of time" she growled in annoyance "I want to get stronger, not sit on a rock and meditate all day!"

Her tutor smiled at that, and in a swift motion pulled out his Zanpakuto, calmly he set his free hand on the blade and ghosted his fingertips along the flat end of the silver. He whispered his release command "Descend, Kazerasshu" and the blade changed, becoming much longer, and changing colour to a dark blue with a white edge "This is my Zanpakuto, Kazerasshu, or Wind Lash. Its ability is to harness and control the surrounding air currents, compressing them into blades which are capable of cutting stone in two or ripping an opponent to shreds"

Soifon starred at the sword in awe, she had heard of his Zanpakuto's released state and heard stories of its destructive power. Yet this was the first time she had ever seen it up close. The sword seemed designed to maim an opponent, and did not look easy to remove from a body without doing more damage.

"Do you want to know how I learned the name of my sword?"

Besides herself she nodded.

"Because of patience, meditation" he said the last word slowly, putting emphasis on it "Believe me I know how hard it can be to sit in one place, but the results are well worth it" he reared back his blade and whispered "Ten no Kaze" before swinging it. To their left several dozen tall tree trunks were cut down, slash marks running along the bark which seemed paper thin, yet somehow managed to go straight through. The trees fell with a resounding set of crashes, when the noise calmed he continued "There are many types of Zanpakuto. There is melee, Kido, wind, fire, earth, water, snow, ice, darkness, light, offensive, defensive, illusion. There are blades specialised in hitting a wide area, and others in pinpointing and striking an exact target. There are Zanpakuto with abilities beyond imagination and those who seem so simple that you would laugh at them until they were set to your throat"

She found herself hanging on every word, unable to tear away from this lecture. How did he know so much? Was he a quick study or did he actually spend most of his academy nights studying his subjects to the smallest detail? He ran his hand along the blade again, and it turned back to its regular shape in an explosion of steam, silently he sheathed the blade "I will teach you a few meditation techniques later, but it seems you are to restless at the moment. So instead I will see how far along you are in your close range combat and swordsmanship, as well as speed and stamina. I'm guessing yours are excellent, so there's no need for beginners lessons, we'll jump right into the heavy stuff" he looked her in the eye "I was trained by Yoruichi-sensei and Urahara-sensei, they both trained me until I was half dead from exhaustion, expect the same Soifon"

"Hai, Naruto-sensei" she said, and then grimaced.

Did she really call her rival sensei?

* * *

_**It has just recently been brought to my attention that, after a long wait Naruto Shippuden has finally, and I mean finally started being dubbed for English audiences. What do I say to this…well, I will begin by saying thank you Jesus, thank you god, and thank you to those awesome people who are working on the dub even as I rant on. Now I know I'm late to the party considering that the first episodes were completed late September, and this is well…mid November, but still.**_

_**I watched the first episode on Youtube, and I have to say that it is hard finding them these days, and from what little stuff I've heard most of the original cast from the original Naruto is still in place. Thank god for that. It should be interesting to see how they change the voices to suit the time skip. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Konohamaru and all sound well enough, and their voice actors have made a good effort in changing the voices to suit their older selves.**_

_**My only problem is why it took them so long, I mean the Japanese version is up to episode 134, or was it 135, anyway its been on for years and our guys across the pond are only starting it now! Sure they had to dub all of those filler eps (Personally I think a hundred odd filler episodes was a bit well…much, and some of them were just useless, physically cringing at the memory of the Curry arc) but they finished those ages ago, I was expecting them to jump right into the thick of it. Ah well, they're doing it now, so I suppose it's forgivable.**_


	15. Flash Tag

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Flash Tag**_

Eight years had passed.

Naruto sat forward on his chair, his hands clasped across his table as he looked at the young teenager standing before him. She was dressed in the white and crimson Hakama of a student of the Shinigami academy, and was even now excitedly doing a twirl to show him.

"Hey, hey" Sakura chastised softly, leaning back from her kneeling position next to the girl, a couple of pins keeping her hair up "Stop twirling, I need to finish pining up this skirt!"

The girl stopped and looked down apologetically, managing a slightly embarrassed laugh "Gomei, Sakura Onee-chan, I'm just so excited!" she then looked to Naruto and leaned forward, clasping her hands behind her back "What do you think, Onii-chan?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair, a mischievous smile spread across his face. In the decade since he had saved her from the streets of the Howling Dog district Rangiku Matsumoto had grown from a pint sized child into a beautiful and charismatic young woman. She had allowed her strawberry blonde hair to grow to shoulder length, with a pink bow tied around her slender neck. He remembered a time when she was as thin as a stick, now her form had matured to the point where most girls, including Sakura, would be envious. Her cleavage seemed to explode by the time she had turned fifteen, and through training sessions with himself and Yoruichi-sensei she was beyond physically fit.

"You look beautiful, Rangiku-chan" he said with a smile, and noticed her cheeks turn a little red at the compliment.

His smile froze when he saw Sakura look at him with a raised brow, cautiously he raised his hands in surrender "What?"

"Don't get any pervy ideas"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" both girls looked at each other, like they were sharing in a private joke at his expense, he smiled as he rose and walked around the table, eyeing his little sister "Amazing, I remember you when you were a pint sized little brat, now look at you, damn have you grown up"

Rangiku pouted at him "What do you mean brat?"

"And just what do you mean by grown up" Sakura chastised, pointing at him with a pin she had just taken from her hair.

Naruto looked at her for a moment "Well she's gotten taller by about three or four feet, let her hair grow, about to start the Shinigami academy" he smiled evilly "What did you think I was saying Sakura-chan?"

Both girls shared a look, luckily any further interaction which would have probably seen him sent through a wall was cut short by a rapping on his door, more visitors. Like a typhoon the door swung open and through it stepped Temari, carrying a small basket full of clothing and cosmetics "Sorry I'm late, had to pick up a few things" she saw Rangiku and smirked "Well look at you, in you're academy Hakama already?"

"Hai" the teenager replied before striking a pose "What do you think? Does it look good on me?"

Temari leaned back slightly, hand placed on her chin in a thoughtful pose, starring at the large cleavage which seemed to threaten to pop out of the top, with a closer look she wondered with envy how a fifteen year old girl could get so well endowed "I would kill for knockers like those"

"Huh"

"Nothing, nothing" the former Sand nin waved off as she set the basket on the desk "So lets see about what you want to take to the academy, you can't live on your academy uniform all day"

"Hai"

"I don't believe this" Naruto muttered, falling into his chair "You're turning my office into a dressing room?"

The girls curtly ignored him and began chatting about what they should pack. Several dresses were laid out on every surface, as well as a mass of makeup and cosmetics, Naruto starred at this rising mountain in disbelief, wondering why they needed the stuff. Within minutes his office looked less like a place of business and more like a clothes shop.

He heard a giggle of delight and gulped, his first train of thought going along the lines of _please no_ and _not her_. He looked through his hands to see Yoruichi perched on his windowsill, looking at the spread out clothes with a twinkle in her golden eyes. Doesn't she ever use the door?

"Yoruichi-taicho" Sakura and Temari said in surprise, before bowing hastily.

"Yoruichi Onee-chan" Rangiku spoke up, holding a crimson dress in front of her "What do you think of this?"

Hopefully she will rap this up and get these girls out of here, which was what Naruto hoped so he could get some work done. His hopes were dashed when his Captain gasped and rushed over to Matsumoto's side, eyeing the dress "Is that the new party dress of the winter catalogue?"

"Hai"

"Oh I love this" she cried, feeling the fabric with careful hands "And its pure silk too. You definitely need to take this. Wear it at the mid-semester ball, the boys will be following you like a bunch of lost puppies!"

Thwack!

All four girls looked around to see Naruto, his head slammed against his desk. Even Yoruichi-sensei had been caught up by this madness. For Kami's sake she wasn't starting for a whole week. All four looked at him disapprovingly, and to his growing horror it was his sensei who spoke "If you're not going to be helpful then leave"

Thwack!

------

"Dragged you along too huh?"

Shikamaru looked up from his lying position on the roof, a cigarette clamped between his teeth "Yeah, Temari dragged me all the way here with enough luggage for every member of the 10th Division…ah man this is such a pain"

"I hear you" Naruto replied as he lay down next to his friend, looking up at the sky and the masses of clouds lazily following their air currents. He had come to enjoy these little clouds watching sessions, although he didn't understand them at first.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I was" Naruto replied, closing his eyes and enjoying the sudden cool breeze "But I got kicked out of my office, the girls have commandeered it for their little packing session"

"How troublesome"

"Yeah" he agreed "I've got three piles of paperwork that need to be finished and ready to go by tomorrow"

"That's what you get for becoming the Vice-Captain" Shikamaru replied with a shrug, taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing out a small blast of smoke "I can't believe you took the job, all that paperwork and responsibility, it would be just too troublesome"

"Yeah" the blonde replied wistfully, looking down at the badge worn on his left upper arm "But I wouldn't have traded the feeling for the world"

_The ceremony of becoming a Vice-Captain wasn't as grand as people would have thought it to be. For one it was mostly confined to the Division, with only a few special invitations sent out for anyone whom the honouree wished to invite. He remembered a podium, the entire 2__nd__ Divison and Omnitsukido branches standing to attention in the courtyard. On the podium was Yoruichi with a small glass case, the armband and seal of a Vice-Captain held within._

_He remembered walking up onto the stage, feeling the eyes of the entire Division upon him as he came within arms reach of his captain and good friend. She smiled widely at him, and handed him the glass box before speaking in a booming voice which gained the attention of all in attendance._

"_The position of Vice-Captain of the Goteijusantai is not one given lightly. Only those who have excelled in their duties and shown great strength and valour in combat can be considered for the position, and even then only a select few of that number will ever make it to that placement" she looked to Naruto, recognition and pride in her eyes "Naruto Uzumaki took the Patrol Corps, an already professional force, and raised it to the status of elite. He has shown great humility, valour and determination in his duties. He has shown to carry a great responsibility for those under him, and through his commitment has earned the respect of not just the Patrol Corps, but the entirety of the 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division. So, it is with pride that I bestow upon him the position of Fukutaicho of the 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division"_

"_Thank you, Yoruichi-taicho" he said, bowing deeply before standing upright again, he waited as his captain removed the armband from the case, and proceeded to fit it on his arm. It was tradition that the captain fitted the armband to her second in command, a sign that they would be working side by side for the good of the Soul Society and the living world._

_She set it on snugly, and took a step back "I hereby proclaim you as Fukutaicho of the 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division" at that she drew her sword, and held it in front of her in salute. As one the men and women in the courtyard drew their blades and mirrored their mistresses movement, a silent gesture of respect, and one which meant more to Naruto than he could have imagined._

_He looked to his captain, and saw her wink cheerily in his direction, he smiled, drew his own sword and mirrored the salute "I, Uzumaki Naruto, do hereby accept the position as Fukutaicho of the 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division. May I be of service to my division, my captain and the Goteijusantai"_

_They remained that way for a handful of heartbeats, and then smoothly Yoruichi sheathed her blade, followed by himself and every Shinigami in attendance "Finally" she said, turning to the crowd and raising her hand "Get me a beer, let the celebration begin!"_

_The cheers were nearly deafening._

"It was one hell of a party" he said with a smile, more out of remembrance for the monumental headache he had the next day.

"Yeah" Nara replied "That wasn't a drag"

The two friends stayed in that friendly silence for nearly half an hour, then Naruto rose to his feet "Wanna go and see if Urahara is up for a game of Shogi"

Shikamaru seemed to think about this for a few moments "Sure, why not"

"What about the girls?"

He waved a bemused Naruto off "By the time they realise we're gone we'll be safe in the 12th Division barracks"

"Yeah, ask Urahara-sensei for amnesty"

"Hey, what happened to your forehead?"

------

The silence of the forest was disrupted as two silhouettes flashed across the landscape, dashing through the space between tall, thick tree trunks. They moved gracefully and precisely through the thick foliage, there one second and gone the next, finally they came to a clearing, or to be more specific one of them came to a clearing.

Naruto stopped and looked around, his eyes calmly scanning the tree line for his partner. There was a low level swish and he brought up his unsheathed Zanpakuto to block Soifons blade. Taking a step back he allowed her feet to hit the ground and went on the offensive with a flurry of punches, finished with a spinning heel kick aimed for the side of her head. Blocking all of his punches deftly she brought up her left arm, supporting it with her right hand in time to block his kick. She grabbed his ankle and threw him over her shoulder.

Using the momentum to spin and landing in a crouch the tutor looked to the apprentice with an appraising eye "Yoruichi-sensei has been teaching you a thing or two. Shunpo and hand to hand has drastically improved"

Her chest heaving slightly Soifon still managed to put a triumphant smile on her face, before falling into a fighting style. Both Yoruichi and Naruto had taught her several styles, usually ones that utilise her speed because of her slender and petite stature. This one was the Gentle Fist, and while it couldn't be used perfectly without the Byakugan it could still be effective against singular opponents. Over the last few years she had been experimenting with the styles she had learned, melding them into her own unique set of techniques.

In response Naruto fell into his own style, while he no longer had the ability to activate his Toad Sage Mode his overwhelming spiritual pressure allowed him to fully utilise the Frog Kata, in his days in the Soul Society he had melded the fighting style with the Strong Fist, as well as several others he had learned over the years.

In a blur Soifon moved, deciding to come straight in and hit him head on, as she came within range she ducked another spin kick from Naruto and tried to take his legs out from under him with a sweep. Her instructor jumped over and aimed the heel of his foot down to her outstretched leg, only to see her jump back a few feet as his foot landed on the ground. She skidded a few inches then jumped, spinning her body expertly around him, aiming quick punches and swinging kicks his way. His body spun with hers, blocking them all.

She hit the ground, pivoted herself and jumped again, seemingly imitating her last manoeuvre. He knew she was better than that, which only meant one thing, a ruse. He caught her lashed kick with his right arm, noticed the ruse and pivoted his arm to block her other leg as it came down. She used the momentum, performing a half backward somersault and landing on her feet.

In a flash she drew her Zanpakuto, and was met by his, the two blades sparked as they struck each other and locked, Soifon putting all her weight into her attack. They separated and their blades became blurs of motion, only the clanks and sparks of them colliding gave them any solidity, but only for a moment as they disconnected and became blurs again.

Then Naruto vanished from her sight, she blinked and leaned back, her sword en guard. One moment he was there, the next he was gone.

"_Hado Yunjuu: Gyoushitahon (Way of Destruction 40: Fire Burst)!"_

He took a deep breath and let it out. Only instead of air he released a condensed stream of pure fire towards her. Acting on instinct she jumped away and performed a Shunpo, landing on a tree branch at the edge of the clearing to see the fire slam into the earth, burning away the grass and leaving a charred scar on the ground. A few small flames still dotted the impact site.

Looking up she saw him above her, his sword drawn and active. Jumping to the side she watched as the blade cut through the tree branch like a knife through warm butter, and jumped away as the severed limb fell to the ground, her teacher in hot pursuit. She looked at her own sword for a moment, now was as good a time as any.

Taking a deep breath she stopped and whispered her blades release command "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi (Hornet)!"

Naruto watched as the blade glowed white, then shrunk into a black gauntlet with gold trim covering almost all of her right forearm, a golden chain attached the gauntlet to a long stinger weapon fitted snugly to her middle finger. It was a beautiful looking weapon, but it was definitely designed for close range combat, so as long as he stayed back he had the advantage.

Then like a ghost she vanished, reappearing right above him and stabbed out with the small stinger blade, Naruto pivoted his body but she still got him on the right forearm, tearing the sleeve of his Shihakusho. The Lieutenant jumped back, landing on a tree and examining his recent training injury. Soifon hadn't aimed for anything vital. He watched as a black butterfly marking appeared on his skin, with the stab wound acting as its centre.

"Your Shunpo is way better than I thought" Naruto said, not taking his eyes of the marking on his skin, he waved the forearm around "And what is this?"

"Suzumebachi's special ability" his student explained "The marking is called Homonka (Hornets Crest); it acts as a target for all my secondary attacks. When I master it I can kill a person if I hit them twice in the same place"

"A terrifying technique" Naruto observed "How many times do you need to hit someone to get a kill shot now?"

"About three or four, and the marking disappears on its own when the wound heals" she replied, and at his look she pouted "I'm working on it"

His immune system kicked in with its usual speed, and by the time she finished her presentation the wound had completely healed, without the injury the black butterfly faded from his skin.

"Damn you and that immune system of yours" she growled, albeit half-heartedly. In the years they had trained together she had lost her irritation in his presence. Actually she respected him now for his fighting ability and ethics. Out of everyone in her life there were only two people she held in high regard; those people were Yoruichi Shihoin and Naruto Uzumaki.

He stood, patting himself off and smiled "Ready to go again?"

"Whenever you're ready"

They both jumped in midair, both smiling sincerely as they restarted their training session.

-------

He really needed that.

Usually when he needed to let off some steam, or something to do to pass the time Soifon always seemed ready to joust. Although technically they were still student and teacher they acted more like sparring partners. There was very little for him to teach her now, so instead they would fight for as long as they were able. Looking back he remembered that brash little girl from seven years ago and smiled. How much she had grown up since then. She was definitely going to be a fine Shinigami, could get his position if he slacked off.

Walking down the main path towards his barracks, ready to take a nice long shower, he stopped when he felt two spiritual pressures coming his way. One was undoubtedly Yoruichi-sensei's, and it seemed that she was having fun, which usually meant trouble. The other was a younger pressure, unmistakably powerful and really irritated. That could only mean one thing.

"Naruto-chan" Yoruichi cried in mock fright as she appeared before him and hid behind him like a scarred child, even though he could imagine the face splitting grin "Save me"

In another blur a young man with long black hair appeared in front of him, looking a hairsbreadth away from committing some kind of capital crime, he took a step, got his breathing under control and pointed at them "Hey Were-cat, I want my ribbon back"

He knew it

Cranking his neck to her he frowned "What have you done now?"

"What do you mean" she asked with an innocent pout, _innocent my ass_.

"You" he turned to the annoyed tone, the boy was pointing at him now "You're her Vice-Captain aren't you? Talk some sense into that woman!!!"

Sighing Naruto closed his eyes and turned, scratching the back of his head "Alright Yoruichi-sensei, you've had your fun, now-" he opened his eyes to find an empty space. She was several meters away, laughing like a kid hyped up on sugar.

"If you're not with me Naruto" she said. Raising her right hand and opening it slightly, a necklace fell into view, stopping in midair as the strap looped around her finger stretched out. It looked an awful lot like that necklace Grandma Tsunade gave him. He looked down, expecting to see the first Hokage's necklace still hanging around his neck, it wasn't there anymore.

Yoruichi's joy seemed to be without end, childishly, and somewhat sexily she stuck out her tongue at both him and Byakuya Kuchiki "Come get me boys" she chided sensually and vanished in a Shunpo, laughing.

For his part the Kuchiki clan heir was fuming, his hand balled up into a fist so tightly that the skin was turning white "Damn you, you damned demon cat, I want my ribbon back" he then spun to Naruto "Hey what the hell are you-" he stopped and looked in disbelief, the blonde Shinigami was smiling an evil smile.

"Oh it's on now!" he said calmly and vanished in a Shunpo, wordlessly Kuchiki followed.

Blurring across the rooftops, appearing as only a haze of black and white before vanishing again, her Shunpo was second to none. It was why she had never lost in a game of tag. She felt his spiritual pressure. He was right behind her, barely a Flash Step behind her. With a simple motion she changed her direction, and felt that he had copied her perfectly. Naruto was keeping up with her, albeit just, he may not be as proficient at flash steps as his sensei but he was still good enough to be considered one of the best in the Soul Society.

"Damn it Yoruichi-sensei" Naruto called out "Stop this foolishness"

She appeared in front of him, sticking out her tongue and, to his surprise, slapped her backside with her free hand a few times. Besides himself he blushed slightly. Her actions only seemed to incense Byakuya further, for he increased the speed of his Shunpo. He needed to end this, and he needed to end this now.

She stopped a few feet above a side alley, and fell to the street below, landing in a crouch and about to disappear in another Shunpo. He couldn't let her out of that alley. It would probably be another half an hour before he got this chance again. He Flash Stepped to the alleys exit, blocking her path, arms folded like an unmovable barrier. She stopped, smirked and turned to the other exit only to see Kuchiki Shunpo there, mirroring Naruto's unmovable object pose.

"It's over Yoruichi-sensei" Naruto said firmly.

"Surrender" Byakuya growled.

She smiled cheekily and Naruto knew she was going to have to be restrained, it was the only way for him to get his necklace back, concentrating his spiritual pressure he said out loud the incantation _"Bakudo__ Kyuu; Horin (Way of Binding 9; Disintegrating Circle)!!!"_

A chain of yellow rietsu appeared in his hands and with a throw he sent it towards his captain. It coiled around her, encircling her form and tightened. If it were a normal Shinigami then this little episode would have been over. Sadly his Captain was anything but ordinary. She stuck out her tongue at him again and vanished in a Shunpo before the chains could restrain her.

"Ah crap" Naruto muttered as he released the Kido.

"Damn you, you were-cat" Kuchiki growled before taking off after her "If you think someone like you can escape me then you are deeply mistaken!"

Of course Naruto knew what his Captains reaction would be, and sure enough he heard a bark of playful laughter. With a sigh the Lieutenant vanished in a Shunpo. This was going to be a very long game of tag.

------

The Kuchiki residence was the perfect place to sit back and unwind. Sure the residence of the barracks was more than adequate. But for a man of his advanced years just taking the time to sit back and watch the day pass brought a calm bliss to his soul.

The cup of western tea didn't hurt much either.

Silently Kuchiki Genrei took a sip of the steaming hot liquid and looked up at the cloudless blue sky, and the position of the sun. It had been fifteen minutes since that fiery young head of the Shihoin clan had stolen his grandson's hair ribbon and coerced him in a game of Flash tag to get it back. The old man couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. While the young head was eccentric she also possessed a keen wit and intellect. His grandson probably didn't know it, but those games she forced him to play were training, since she had started his Shunpo had improved drastically. He doubted Byakuya would ever thank her for it though.

There was a flash in the garden, and with his wizened old eyes he saw Yoruichi Shihoin appear for just a split second before vanishing again in a blur. He saw that she still had his grandson's black ribbon, but he also noticed a small piece of jewellery, an expensive looking necklace by the look of it. That definitely didn't look like something his grandson wore.

A second went by, then he saw a young blonde man blur in and out of the garden. Dressed in the robes of a Shinigami with a lieutenant's band on his arm, his face was pulled back in a grin, the whisker like markings on his cheeks standing out profoundly. So that was Uzumaki Naruto, he had heard some interesting things about him.

Then a moment later his grandson blurred in and out of the garden, all measure of calm and serenity gone from his face, replaced by a highly irritated scowl. The Kuchiki head sighed. He was going to have to teach his grandson the advantages of patience.

Perhaps after another cup of tea

------

Yoruichi performed another half dozen quick Shunpo, landing gracefully on the roof of one of many residences within the Seireitei. Turning around, a huge grin plastered on her face she surveyed the way she had come. A few moments passed before her two pursuers flashed into existence on a roof a block away.

Naruto studied her position. She had the high ground and the advantage, from that position she could Shunpo anywhere she wanted, and he was tiring. He needed to catch her. Sure he had played this Flash Tag with her a few times, it was good training to nurture ones ability to flash step, and it was good fun. But in the hundred and nineteen times he had played with her over the years he had managed to catch her only five times, and each time it had taken a complex strategy to pull off. He had never beaten her on pure speed.

Which was why he had come up with a strategy, turning the Byakuya he waved him close, the boy looked at him in irritation but begrudgingly complied "I need you to help me on this" he explained, his voice barely audible to his partner "Work with me, we need to shepherd her to the third courtyard of the 10th Division barracks, got that"

"If it gets my belongings back"

"Your ribbon" he asked "Forget your ribbon, I want my necklace back"

"Why is that little trinket so important to you?"

"It belonged to the first leader of my village, who passed it on to my predecessor, who passed it on to me. To me that necklace is a national treasure" Kuchiki did not look impressed "In the world of the living it would be worth three mountains and the gold mines under them"

The boy raised an eyebrow "That valuable huh?"

"You're damn right"

"Very well" he said "What is your plan"

"Listen very carefully"

------

She watched the two of them converse, and frowned in annoyance that they were just out of her hearing range.

------

"Are you sure he would have it set up?"

"If I know Shikamaru he would have ten of them set up. I once came to him and complained about my captains little games, he muttered that it was troublesome but he would help"

The clan heir nodded, and waited as the Fukutaicho counted down from three with his fingertips. Then they were off, by the time they made it to Yoruichi's rooftop she had already gone. It had taken them a half hour of continuous pursuit to get her to go in the direction they wanted her to go. In that time they had crossed the length and breadth of the Seireitei almost nine times in pursuit of the Mistress of the Flash. But finally, finally she came to the 10th Division barracks. Acting in unison both Naruto and Kuchiki split up, using them selves to block off every avenue she tried to use to escape. Finally the training ground was within sight, and she was heading right for it.

He hoped that Shikamaru had lived up to his word. The man was a lazy bum but when he was forced into something he always showed that genius part of himself. The Shihoin leader touched down in the centre of the courtyard with a soft tap, followed by a subtle snap. The trap was still in place.

Yoruichi noticed the snap too, and jumped into the air, a disk of black appeared where her feet once were and tendrils of shadow spewed forth like the tentacles of some ancient and benevolent beast. They curled and writhed, following her every move with eerie precision.

They were never going to catch her of course. She was far too fast for that. But the distraction was enough. With a quick Shunpo both Naruto and Byakuya blurred around her and with a quick swipe took back their possessions. Then in a blur all three jumped away as the shadows seemed to heave and then vanish into thin air.

------

Shikamaru looked up, feeling the sudden spike of spiritual pressure from the training field. A small smile came to his face as he turned back to his Shogi board. The Shinigami at the other end was oblivious to the quick crack in his otherwise stoic and calm mask.

He didn't know the name of his Zanpakuto yet, although he was beginning to hear the spirit when it called out to him, he had even meditated and entered its world on a few occasions to find that it was as lazy and uncaring of the everyday occurrences of the world as he was. Because of this his progression would have been painfully slow for anyone else but him.

He had learned a few things about his Zanpakuto though. It was a shadow type, able to manipulate and caste shadows like he was able to when he was alive and a ninja. He also saw that like him it had a keen tactical mind, able to set traps that could last for weeks and not activate until a certain spiritual pressure landed on it.

_So Naruto finally sprung the trap huh, another day or two and it would have been gone. _He waited until his opponent made the move, right into his trap and picking up his crook eliminated his enemies centre piece,

"Checkmate"

------

"Our one hundred and twentieth game goes to me Yoruichi-sensei" Naruto said with a smile as he appeared on the edge of the Shihoin residence, placing his treasured necklace back around his neck.

His captain turned at him and huffed a little theatrically "You are such a cheater. If you hadn't have used that trap then we would still be out there playing tag"

"Oh, what a shame" her Vice-Captain replied sarcastically.

She frowned at him, then her mouth twitched and she burst out laughing. Naruto held onto his stern mask for a few more moments until finally he couldn't take it anymore. He let out a bark of laughter. He had no idea tormenting the proud clan heir could be so much fun.

His Captain laughed so hard she would have fallen off the roof if he wasn't there to steady her, after a few moments the heaving giggles subsided and she made a very common gesture "Sake?"

"I'm buying this time"

She stuck out her tongue playfully "Not likely"

"Rock, paper, scissors" he asked "Winner gets to pay for the loser"

"I have a better idea" she replied playfully "First one there pays" with that she vanished in a Shunpo.

"No fair" he called, taking off after her "You got a head start!"

------

The man fell to his knees, heaving violently, his eyes bulging and his mouth open as if trying to scream. Yet no noise escaped, only a gurgle which sounded more like he was drowning. A white liquid exploded from his mouth and eyes, curled around and splattered on his face. He let out one last strangled cry before his entire body exploded in a mass of white liquid.

All around him nine others met a similar end, leaving nothing more than smears of hardening white liquid on the forest floor. Within a few minutes that would vanish too, leaving no evidence of what had occurred here.

"It seems this was a failure too" an accented voice muttered.

"Yes" another replied, his voice a low level hiss.

"Perhaps we should end it"

"No, lets continue for a little while longer"


	16. Night of the White Masks

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Night of the White Masks**_

They both stood in the darkness, their forms lit up by squares of light from the upper ramparts. Kisuke looked at the darkened central chamber which acted as the main meeting room for the forty wise men and six Judges which made up the judiciary Central 46. All of these powerful individuals had taken their seats in the surrounding upper rise platforms, their forms obscured from view by white coverings.

Kisuke Urahara and his friend and fellow Captain Tessai Tsukabishi had been arrested and hauled to the Central 46 chambers in shackles.

"Just what is going on?" Kisuke asked, genuinely curious.

"Have we given you permission to speak" one asked in agitation "You are under investigation. You may not speak except to answer our questions" his next words were smug "Bare that in mind _Captain_"

_Investigation, so they suspect me of something; _Kisuke turned his head to the member who spoke, offering a small nod "Sorry"

Another spoke up "Where were you around midnight last night?"

"In the woods of sector 6, to the west" he replied truthfully, he was about to explain why he was there, but another spoke up, his tone accusing.

"Conducting your Hollowfication experiments" another stated in disgust.

Kisuke stopped; his surprise clearly readable on his face. They thought he was the one behind the incident? But before he could deny it one of the judges spoke up "There, using the results of your evil experiments you attacked and attempted Hollowfication on eight Captains and Lieutenants starting with the 5th Division Captain. Am I right?"

"Wait a minute" Kisuke shouted in disbelief "Who told you that!?"

"You do not have the right to ask questions" a wise man replied coldly.

"Was it Lieutenant Aizen?" he continued, ignoring the reprimand.

"That's your second warning 12th Division Captain" another wise man informed.

Ignoring the reproach again he shouted at the top of his lungs "He did it all. We headed there to try and save Hirako-taicho and the others!!!"

"Your lies are becoming ridiculous" a judge chastised "The 5th Division Vice-Captain did not leave Seireitei last night!"

Once again Urahara was caught completely by surprise "What!?"

"One hundred and twenty four Guards and one Captain can vouch for him. There is no doubt about it"

The 12th Division Captain was so surprised by the statement that his voice failed him. Standing there, eyes wide and jaw slightly agape in shock he barely heard one of their agents enter the chamber until a light was caste on him. The man was dressed in the garb of the 2nd Division militia and was kneeling before the council.

"Reporting in" he stated calmly "Numerous signs of Hollowfication experiments have been found in the 12th Division Laboratory" Of course there would be signs of Hollowfication in his laboratory, that's where he had taken the victims of Aizen's machinations. He and Tessai had tried with everything they had at their disposal to save them.

"That settles it" the main judge stated matter-of-factly "We will now sentence you!!!" he paused for a moment, then he spoke in a booming voice "Kido Captain Tsukabishi Tessai. For the crimes of using forbidden Kido techniques you will be imprisoned in underground prison three, Shugo!" his uncaring eyes then turned to Kisuke "12th Division Captain Urahara Kisuke. For the crimes of conducting taboo experiments, deceiving your colleagues and causing grievous injury you will be stripped of your powers and eternally banished to Earth!" the old man paused again to catch a breath, and when he spoke there was no sadness nor guilt in his words "Furthermore, the 5th Division Captain and the other seven victims of your evil experiments will be dealt with as Hollows!"

"Wait a minute" Kisuke shouted in outrage, not at his own sentence but the cavalier way they were dealing with the victims of this disaster, it just wasn't right "That's-"

His argument stuck in his throat as the main door opened and a harsh, unforgiving light fell down the hundred steps to the council chamber. A shadow fell upon them all, casting off the light. Slowly Kisuke turned, expecting to see his executioner. At the top of the steps was a feminine figure, dressed in a black body hugging combat suit with a cream cloak draped over her shoulders, face obscured by two pieces of cloth, one covering her face below the nose, the other wrapped around her head. Her golden eyes were completely focused on him.

The council didn't take the interruption well "Who are you?"

"Who gave you permission to enter during an inquiry!?"

Get out, you filth!!"

Their questions and insults seemed to fall upon deaf ears. In a flash she disappeared from her vantage point, reappearing between the surprised and confused forms of Tessai and Kisuke with blinding speed. So fast she was just a blur to them and the Central 46. She grabbed both of them, and vanished again. All that marked their passing being a thin spray of dust.

There were a few moments of stunned silence. Then all hell broke loss.

"Get them!"

"Rebels"

"Is anyone there!?"

"Someone"

------

The girl ran down the streets, breathing raggedly and drenched in sweat. She didn't know how long she had ran from the monsters, but her legs burned, her chest heaved, she couldn't keep up this pace for much longer. Finally her exhausted body failed her, and she stumbled, falling hard onto the concrete path. She crawled a few feet, turned and watched the approaching monsters in horror.

There were three of them. Huge bodied creatures of bulging muscles and spikes, over their faces were porcelain masks of different shapes, the slits for their eyes glowing with a feral yellowish light. Eyes wide as dinner plates she was frozen in fear as they approached, releasing bloodcurdling growls and opening their maws. This was it. This was how she was going to die.

Forcing her eyes shut she waited for the inevitable. But the inevitable didn't come. As the Hollow got within three feet of her a figure appeared, shielding the terrified girl with his body. Black robes ruffling in the wind, his right hand grasping the hilt of an unsheathed sword. He vanished in a blur, reappearing behind the Hollow, eyes closed, sword held in his hand, the blade glistening in the early morning rays of the sun.

For a moment the Hollow stood there, unmoving. Then its mask shattered and it disintegrated with a demonic cry. He vanished again and the other two met the same fate, masks shattered by sudden and precise swings from his blade. When the girl opened her eyes again there were no monsters, there was just one man. A handsome young man with spiked blonde hair and oceanic eyes walking towards her, his sword sheathed in the scabbard once again.

He reached out with his hand, and she shied away, expecting him to strike her. That was what her killer had done. He had hit her again and again until she felt no more pain, and when she woke up she was looking down at her own broken body, a chain attached to her chest. She tightly shut her eyes again, and was surprised when no strike came, but instead a hand ruffling her chestnut hair.

She opened her eyes and looked into a pair of beautiful oceanic orbs, her saviour smiled reassuringly at her "There, there, you must have been scared. But it's all over now"

She choked back sobs, failed and flung herself into his chest, crying. He patted her on the head. Those soft, caring orbs making her feel at ease "Its okay. It's over now. I'll send you somewhere where the monsters can't get you. Would you like that?"

She nodded and he gently pushed her back and unsheathed his sword, she was about to shy away, but his smile and those piercing eyes kept her in place "Relax, close your eyes"

She did so, and felt something gently press against her forehead. There was a terrific light and for the first time since she had died she felt something, she felt warmth, she felt at peace.

Watching as the twelve year old girl vanished into the light Naruto sighed sadly as he sheathed his blade, so young, so full of life. So harshly cruel that it was taken away from her. She had been no older than he was when he became a Ninja, seemed like centuries ago. In a way it was. Time seemed to move differently here than in the Soul Society. The elemental nations were gone, and for a time the Samurai seemed to have flourished. Then technology from the far west came into play and the warrior-class couldn't adapt to the change. It was only a matter of time before they met the same fate as the Ninja.

His attention settled upon a small black fluttering form, heading straight towards him, a Hell Butterfly. Carefully he reached out, allowing the small creature to rest on his middle and index fingers. He read the message and frowned.

_Uzumaki Naruto, Vice-Captain of 2__nd__ Division. You are to return to the Soul Society immediately. _It lacked information, but an order was an order, and when that order came from the Sotaicho himself it was to be followed to the letter.

Allowing the small insect to take off he turned "Fu, Hisa, Ao, Jung!" four members of his corps appeared before him, standing to attention with their hands behind their backs, he smiled to his top four squad leaders "Looks like I wont be sticking around after all, message from the higher ups to return"

"What do you expect sensei" Fu said with a snort, her tanned skin and shoulder length raven hair hidden beneath her bandana "You have nearly five piles of paperwork to sign"

"You looked again didn't you?"

"Sure did"

"I don't want to know"

------

He was surrounded by at least a hundred guards as soon as he left the gate. They weren't all in plain sight. Only ten of them were waiting for him in the courtyard, the other ninety were hidden in the trees, bushes and surrounding buildings. By a glance he could tell they were all from the 1st Division, several of them were seated officers.

_What the hell is going on!?_

"Uzumaki Naruto"

His eyes settled upon the speaker, a tall foreboding man who seemed to visibly flinch under his cool gaze "By order of the Central 46 you are to be escorted to their chambers for questioning"

"Questioning?" he asked "About what"

"That is not my place to say"

"You son of a bitch" someone shouted "Were you in on it too" His eyes came to a much smaller man, who's eyes starred at him accusingly "Are you a traitor like that whore!?"

"What are you talking about" he asked, keeping his anger in check, at least for now.

"Two nights ago Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi were found to be guilty of experimenting in Hollowfication on eight Captains and Lieutenants" the leader said, casting a dangerous glance on the man responsible for the outburst "Through trial they were both found guilty and sentenced"

He looked at the man in disbelief and open shock. Urahara, a traitor, no way in hell, Tessai he didn't know so well, but he knew the man wasn't a traitor either "There's no way"

"The evidence against him was irrefutable"

"And when justice was done that bitch Yoruichi broke them out" another shouted "Are you in league with her"

"What" he asked, his shock taking new heights, he looked to the leader, only to see him nod.

"Also true"

"If you know where the whore is spill it" the man responsible for the original outburst said "Or we'll beat the truth out of you ourselves"

No one disrespected his Captain like that, no matter what the situation. His spiritual pressure exploded, and before it all of them paled "Watch your mouth!"

There was a blur and within a heartbeat his entire Patrol Corps descended, their blades drawn and held against the arrest squad's throats, so close some were drawing blood. They weren't alone, he saw more shapes move through the treetops, through the stone paths. He saw Soifon, the Militia and the Detention Squad appearing out of thin air and place their blades to the throats of the ninety odd men in hiding.

"My corps, no my division gets very trigger happy when someone disrespects our Captain, watch your mouth or you'll have your head taken from your shoulders"

"W-we meant no disrespect Naruto-sam-"

"Like hell you didn't" he growled at the man, who looked like he wanted to run until his feet bleed "Where is your evidence that Yoruichi-taicho is a traitor. I want to see it then maybe I won't kill you all for your insult" he looked to the man who had insulted his sensei "You know what, fuck it, I'll just kill you!!!"

He looked like he was about to wet himself, but was saved by a booming voice which not even the Lieutenant of 2nd Division wanted to face off against "Enough!"

All in attendance turned to see the Sotaicho, the Captain-Commander of the Goteijusantai hobble forward with his large walking stick. Physically the old man seemed harmless, but his spiritual pressure was almost suffocating. Weaker guardsmen fell to their knees, fighting hard just to breathe. To Naruto and Soifon who had just descended and was now standing beside him, the commanders rietsu was enough to make their bodies triple in weight.

"This division within the ranks will cease" his voice left no word for argument, he turned to his squad, his eyes cold and radiating disappointment "Leave us, I will take Uzumaki-fukutaicho to the Central 46 myself"

His men bowed and left, as did the entirety of the 2nd Division who had come to Naruto's aide. The only one who remained stubbornly in place was Soifon. Naruto could see it from his student. Her mind was an explosion of confusion, hurt, sorrow and anxiety. She was as confused about the situation as he was. To them the idea of Yoruichi as a traitor was impossible.

Yamamoto looked at the young woman, his eyes unreadable as he repeated his order, more steel in his voice this time "Leave us"

She flinched, but remained doggedly in place, falling down to kneel with her head bowed low "Sotaicho, I want to know. I can't believe, I refuse to believe Yoruichi-sama is a traitor…I-I"

Her broken words were cut off by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, tears in her dark orbs to see Naruto on a knee, smiling reassuringly at her "Don't worry about it Soifon. I'll find out what's going on and you'll be the first to know, okay?"

She nodded timidly, dried her eyes and jumped away into the trees. For a moment both Naruto and Yamamoto starred at each other. Then he bowed "Lead the way, Sotaicho"

------

Squinting his eyes as the blinding light descended upon him the Lieutenant had to blink a few times to regain his sense of vision. He had been led by the Captain-Commander straight to the chambers of the Central 46. It was his first time before these forty wise men and six judges who held sway over the judiciary system of the Soul Society. Yet for the life of him he felt no fear or joy for being called before such a powerful court. If anything he was annoyed.

"I have come as asked" he said simply, arms folded in an act of open defiance to the forty six old men surrounding him and his supreme commander "Now what is this all about?"

"Silence" one said gruffly "We are the ones asking the questions!"

"Fine" Naruto said, his tone respectful yet strained "Ask away"

"Where were you two nights ago at midnight?"

"In the world of the living, taking part in a Hollow hunt"

"Are there any who could confirm it?"

"Only ten members of my Patrol Corps, I can give a list of their names"

"How do you know former Captains Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi and Yoruichi Shihoin?"

"Tsukibishi I do not know very well, but I heard he was one of the most powerful Kido casters in the Soul Society" Naruto answered, not missing the word former added to the sentence "Captains Urahara and Shihoin are my mentors, they taught me almost everything I know"

"So you should have known of their plans" one shouted.

The Lieutenant frowned "What plans?"

"Do not act coy with us Uzumaki-fukutaicho. Being as close to them as you are I doubt you were completely ignorant to knowledge of what they were planning to do"

"I am ignorant because I have no idea what you are on about!" he spat, beyond irritated at their pointing fingers and implications "Try and slow down and use small words so I can properly understand what you are accusing me of"

"You are accused of assisting the traitor Urahara Kisuke in his experiments of Hollowfying a number of Captains and Lieutenants"

"Hollofying" Naruto turned the name around in his mind "What the hell is that!?"

"Your feigned ignorance will do you no good"

"You are charged in assisting Kisuke Urahara in illegal experiments concerning Hollowfication, and using this knowledge on the Captains of third, fourth, fifth and ninth Divisions, as well as the Lieutenants of eighth, ninth, twelfth and the Kido Divisions"

The Vice-Captain felt his jaw drop at the statement, not that they were partially blaming him for the crime but for the fact that four Captains and another four Vice-Captains had been attacked and…Hollowfied, whatever it was he knew it wasn't good by a long shot.

"Stop" Yamamoto said in a calm and stoic voice, taking a step forward, his cane echoing as it tapped of the tiled floor "What evidence do you have of Uzumaki-fukuaicho's involvement in this crime? When the incident was being played out he was in the world of the living with his squad, whom ten members can confirm. You have had your own search his quarters and the rest of the 2nd Division barracks. Tell me is there any evidence supporting these claims?"

"He was a pupil of theirs, that and their close relationship-"

"I see, so he is guilty simply because of association?"

"You overstep yourself Yamamoto-sotaicho"

"Not at all" the old man replied "I am simply stating fact. The fact is that in forty eight hours we have lost seven Captains, four Vice-Captains and two seated officers of the ninth Division, the Goteijusantai has been severely weakened by these losses, yet you wish to remove another Vice-Captain with no evidence that he was involved in this crime other than that he associated with the condemned"

The council was silent for a moment, the meagre spiritual pressures of a few of them fearful and uncertain, finally one of the six judges spoke "The investigation will continue, until such a time as he has been cleared of any wrongdoing Uzumaki-fukutaicho will be confined to house arrest. All activities of the Patrol Corps are to be suspended until further notice. All members taking part in away missions are to be recalled. For the near future the second, twelfth and Kido Divisions are to be placed in quarantine"

------

"Arigato Yamamoto-sotaicho"

The old Captain trained his eye on the youngster for a moment before setting his attention on the path again "We have lost too many Captain-level Shinigami already. To lose another for no reason would be unwise"

Naruto nodded, he had been led out by Yamamoto personally and was moving back to the 2nd Division barracks. Where the Lieutenant and now Pseudo-Captain of the Division would be making the announcement that they were all to be quarantined until further notice, but a singular question kept tossing and turning in his mind "Do you believe what they are saying, Sotaicho?"

"The evidence is very strong against them and sentencing on Urahara and Tsukabishi had already been carried out when Shihoin intervened and aided them in their escape. Furthermore from the evidence found in the twelfth laboratories Urahara had been the one who created the formula for Hollowfication" the old man looked Naruto in the eyes "Add to that him being there that night and the evidence is overwhelming"

"I see" Naruto replied slowly.

He still found it hard to believe, beyond hard to believe. Urahara was a scientist at heart, he had been known to let his curiosity get the better of him, but he was also a man with a conscience and morals. He believed zealously that his friend would not have been party to such experiments. To Kisuke the costs would have been far too high. And with the arrest and sentencing of his friend, Naruto would have been deeply surprised if Yoruichi just stood by and did nothing, she didn't admit it, but Naruto knew the feelings both had for each other.

With her and Naruto it was a little brother/older sister relationship, so much so that any physical relationship with her would have been gross. She was an extremely beautiful woman and he admitted her personality made her even more attractive, but the mindset had been put firmly in place. With her and Kisuke it was different. The looks they caste each other, the way they were always together when off duty, the times when she would come back to the barracks the next day after being out all night, smiling and glowing radiantly. He had suspected that they were a couple, and knew that their feelings were so strong that one would have shunned duty if it meant protecting the other.

"I trust you will make sure that your Division will adhere and cooperate with the Central 46's investigation Naruto" the old man said, his eyes still caste on the boy.

Naruto nodded "Hai, Sotaicho"

He was not going to let this go until he had proof beyond a reasonable doubt that his senseis were guilty. He would leave the barracks at the first opportunity and go to the scene of the crime, investigate it himself. But he was not about to drag the entire Division with him.

------

His announcement to the Division gained the results he expected, he saw disbelief in their eyes, but also knew that they would adhere to his orders and cooperate with the investigation. His exact words were 'Let's show the old geezers that we are innocent'. They had surrendered their Zanpakuto's to the 1st Division squads sent to disarm them. They had willingly allowed themselves to be questioned about their former Captain, and as the investigation in the barracks came to a close and the huge doors were shut, they had adhered to the Central 46's decision to quarantine them.

That night Naruto was in his office, sitting in his chair, a pen in his hand, writing on a slip of paper. He finished, signing his signature on the bottom and placing the pen back in its place rolled up the scroll, depositing it in a small cylindrical covering.

He was not going to let this go until he had proof himself, beyond a reasonable doubt that his sensei's were guilty. In order to do that he would be going against orders, and breaking a few age old laws. He rose and left his office, heading to the one person he knew he could trust.

Soifon was in her room, he knees drew up against her chest, hugging a pillow, eyes downcast on the floor. When she heard a knock on the door she wearily stood, walked across her small room and opened it. Naruto stood before her, and from the redness in her eyes he could tell that she had been crying.

Upon seeing him her last essence of self control snapped and she ran into his arms, tears falling freely. Naruto put his arms around her, and held her close. He knew how much this was hurting her. She had remained strong and unwavering during the entire investigation, even though inside she was breaking apart. Her legs unable to hold her she had to use Naruto for support, still her sensei held her, patting her hiccupping form.

He sighed, picking her up in his arms and settling her on her bed, making her sit up he looked him in the eyes "Soifon"

She had calmed down a little bit, she wasn't howling in sorrow anymore, but she was still shivering. To hear that her big sister had become a traitor to the Soul Society was heartbreaking. She would probably hate him for what he was about to do "I need you to do something for me, can you do that?" she nodded.

"I'm going to go against the Central 46's orders and leave the barracks" he said, trying to ignore the shock on her youthful features "I need to see, beyond proof of a doubt that what they're saying about her is true. I'm going to lead my own investigation, and go to the scene of the crime"

"Take me with you" she said, successfully pushing back her grief for a few moments.

He shook his head "I can't. This will be my decision and my decision alone. I will take the consequences of my actions and I will not drag you, or the Division into this" he reached into his robes and pulled out the small cylindrical covering, giving it to her and closing her fingers around it with his own "If I am not back by first light, take this message to the Sotaicho. You will give it to him, and only him. Do you understand?"

That same light still shone in her eyes "Someone else can do it. I am still going with you"

"You're not" he replied with a voice of steel "You are going to take that message to him. I will make sure of it even if I have to knock you out here!" his ferocity startled her, but her stubbornness still remained, he smiled, she would make a fine commander "And do one more thing, if I don't come back tell Sakura that I'm…I'm sorry"

Before she could respond a hand flashed out from his side and aimed a perfect chop for her neck, hitting her right on the nerve. She lost consciousness before she began falling to the floor. He caught the petite Assistant Adjutant as she fell, picking her up and laying her on the bed. He took the casing, setting it on her bedside table and turned to leave.

"Naruto" he stopped and turned to see her still unconscious, but tears fell from her closed eyes "Don't…go"

"Gomei Soi" he whispered, closing her sliding door "But I can't let this go"

Taking a deep, shuttering breath he walked down the darkened halls of the barracks with a purpose. Now all that was left was for him to collect his Zanpakuto, it should be in the courtyard.

The Zanpakuto were laid out on the tiled floor of the yard in lines, hundreds of swords of different shapes and sizes stretched out, all under the guard of five Shinigami from the 1st Division. Naruto grinned from his perch, looking down at the courtyard and the five Shinigami scattered across it. This was going to be easier than he thought. He put his hands together in a basic Jutsu hand sign, it was useless when summoning Kido, but it was a habit he never got out of.

"_Bakudo Rokujuugo: Hakufuku (Way of Binding 65: White Crawl)"_

To the five guards the last thing they saw was a flurry of white feathers, and then their eyes became heavy. To Naruto the guards began to stoop. Then they fell to the ground, unconscious. He smiled, Hakufuku was a midlevel binding spell, designed to knock out Shinigami below the level of fifth seated officers, the stronger the officer the more power needed to be put into the spell.

Jumping down from his perch on the rooftop, his Shihakusho and head hidden by a black cloak, the Lieutenant walked through the lines of Zanpakuto, picked up his own by its strap and vanished in a Shunpo. It took five in quick succession to get him out of sight of the 2nd Division barracks, and away from the alert eyes of another fifty guards patrolling the perimeter.

In his office, lying on his desk was the seal of the 2nd Division Lieutenant, and beside that was the Vice-Captains armband.

------

He arrived at the site of the supposed crime, it was easy to spot. Slash marks and craters dotted the ground, debris and pieces of rock and dirt. By the destruction wrought on this site he knew it had to be the place. He blurred into existence at the edge of the clearing, his eyes scanning every inch. Even two days after the battle he could still feel the after effects. Residual rietsu was still detectable, alongside other, more ominous forces.

He kneeled, his hand running along the crevice of a slash mark in the dirt. The battle here must have been fierce. There was no doubt about it in his mind. Rising to his feet he walked to the centre of the clearing, his eyes and senses scanning all the while, no spiritual pressures within a two kilometre radius, it was good enough for what he was planning to do.

Summoning all of his knowledge in Kido he raised his hands in the air, as if he were a pianist ready to play a tune. Silently he mouthed the words of an incantation. First he would create a five layer defence barrier around the clearing. Then he would raise a detection barrier to make sure no one noticed what he was doing. Finally he would create a dampening barrier, blocking any rietsu levels to the outside world.

It was a long and complicated set of spells to create, to anyone who was not an S-level spell caster the entire thing had to be spoken word for word. To date only two members of the Shinigami could do it with ease, one was now labelled a traitor, and the other was Hollowfied. After ten minutes of casting he had raised all of the barriers he needed. Taking a deep breath, eyes closed the entire time he held onto an amused smile.

That was the easy part.

Taking another deep breath he slammed his hands together into a basic hand sign, a focusing tactic, this spell required incredible concentration and even better rietsu manipulation. If he screwed up even once, the power would seep through the barriers and alert the whole Seireitei to the fact that he had just used a forbidden Kido spell.

Taking another, deep breath he reiterated the chant _"Waves of the west, oceans of the south. The rippling mirror shatters under the midmorning breeze. Seven moons, six suns, through twilight let the eyes see; Nagare Sanpo (Forbidden Art: Flow Walk)"_

His eyes closed, he didn't notice the small ball of translucent energy that encompassed his frame, nor did he see the forest begin to slowly change in front of him. The Flow Walk was a forbidden Kido which allowed the practitioner to travel back in time to see certain events, he could not change what had transpired, but he could see it.

It was a forbidden technique, though why was a mystery to him.

He felt a slight buzz in his ear, a sign that he had arrived at the time he wanted too. Snapping his eyes open he stopped the reversal of time, and starred upon the same landscape, albeit without scars, craters or debris.

_There was an explosion of dirt and smoke, hindering his vision, but he recognised the figure from her shadow. Hiyori jumped back from an explosion of earth, landing hard and skidding several meters across the ground. She looked up, her cheek cut and bleeding at a towering dark silhouette in the centre of the newly made crater._

_It looked at her and without a single ounce of hesitation charged her, its right arm drew back to deliver another deadly punch. There was no way she could block it. He saw her close her eyes and wait for the inevitable. Another shadow blurred into focus and with his unsheathed Zanpakuto batted the deadly blow away._

_The smoke cleared enough, and Naruto saw Hirako-taicho, his Zanpakuto drawn and held in his hands. Placing himself between Hayori and her attacker, looking up to Shinji, she mouthed his name, surprised to see him here._

"_Baka" he said simply "Why didn't you run?"_

"_Idiot" was her reply, eyes downcast "How could I?"_

_The smoke had cleared further, and the creature before them became visible. Besides him self the lieutenant gasp. It was the Captain of the 9__th__ Division, Kensei Muguruma. Or at least it once was Kensei Muguruma. He was stooped forward, a mass of cylindrical protrusions sticking out of his back and shoulders, his feet were skeletal and his hands seemed to be encased in gauntlets. But the strangest thing was the mask he wore; it was flat with six slits, reminding him somewhat of a hockey mask._

_This was Hollowfication?_

_The 5__th__ Division Captain could only look at the deformed figure of his comrade in open shock, eyes wide as dinner plates. But he held his ground, even when the Hollowfied Captain let out a piercing howl which chilled him, Hayori and even Naruto to the bone. In a mass of blurs the other victims arrived. The Captain of 3__rd__ Division, Rojuro 'Rose' Otoribashi, his friend and 8__th__ Division Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru, and leading them was 7__th__ Division Captain Love Aikawa. _

"_Shinji" Love called "Are you okay, Hiyori!?"_

_Then they saw Kensei, almost unrecognisable to them except for the 69 tattoo etched into his chest. They starred at the Hollowfied Captain, eyes wide in disbelief, it was Love who broke the silence, mouthing the fallen mans name._

"_What's going on?" Love asked, his eyes not leaving the stooping Captain._

"_Is that really Kensei?" Rose asked uncertainly "The mask, the rietsu. It's as if he's a Hollow"_

_Shinji spoke, his eyes not leaving his comrade "I don't know whether or not its really Kensei either, but I do know that if you don't draw your swords" 'Kensei' looked up at the group of individuals, hissing a throaty growl which sounded like an echo through a hollowed out chamber "You'll die"_

_Suddenly the creature threw its head back and roared an echoing war cry, so piercingly potent that it went right through the Captains and Vice-Captains. A small shockwave seemed to reverberate from the roar, kicking up a dust devil of finely grained dirt and grass. Feeling its spiritual pressure rise they jumped away._

_Then the Hollow vanished, reappearing in midair behind Love, haori flapping, armoured fist reeled back for a punch. The 7__th__ Division Captain barely had time to twist his head to look at the monstrosity, crying out a surprised "What?"_

_The following impact created a huge cloud of white smoke, followed by another impact, then another. 'Kensei' flew back, trailing white smoke in his wake as he struck the ground and skidded to a halt. Love appeared next, his Zanpakuto drawn, his robes and Captains jacket torn away around the right torso and upper arm, smoke trailing from the burned skin._

"_Whew, not bad" Aikawa managed between pants for breath, he was able to deflect most of the blows "Leave it to Kensei"_

"_Stop" Hiyori shouted, still tucked under Shinji's arm "Don't you get it? It's Kensei, we-" she began to sputter and cough, the wound she suffered clearly affecting her._

"_Quiet Hiyori" Hirako chastised softly "We have to stop him, especially if it is Kensei"_

"_He's right Hiyori" Rose added, he and Lisa drawing their swords and holding them in en guard stances "Kensei's important, that's why we have to stop him"_

"_Don't worry" Lisa added, gripping her sword with both hands "There's plenty of ways to stop him without killing him"_

_Besides what he was seeing Naruto smiled at them, it was no small secret that these guys were all close as family, almost as close as he was with his friends. If they could stop the 9__th__ Division Captain without killing him, they would do it in a heartbeat. _

------

A flutter of clothing and a tapping of sandals signalling their arrival the three figures stood on the last ring of trees around the clearing. Silently they waited for a few moments, until finally one of them began walking forward. Only to be stopped from an outstretched hand from their leader.

"Aizen-sama" Tosen asked "What is wrong?"

The man seemed to think for a moment, then smiled; _Clever Naruto-kun, very clever _"He has raised a five layered protection barrier, as well as a dampening and detection field"

"Quite high levelled stuff" Gin whistled.

"Yes" Sosuke agreed "If you walked another step then you would have been burned by the field, and you would have triggered the detection alarm"

"A five layered protection field is hardly enough to keep us out Aizen-sama" Kaname replied.

"It's not meant to keep us out" Aizen replied "It's meant to buy time"

"Time?"

"It would certainly take us a few moments to break the barrier. He hopes this will be sufficient for him to complete whatever he is doing in there"

"What is he doing?"

"Something he shouldn't be"

------

_The sudden arrival of Mashiro, clad in an insectoid Hollow mask surprised them, and with a quick, incredibly powerful kick she took out Rose before he even knew she was there. She went after Shinji next, her lower body, seemingly encased in a slender white carapace made contact with the Captains sword with enough power to destroy and heave the ground around them._

"_Bakudo Nanajuugo; __Gochūtekkan (Way of Binding 75; Quintet of 1 Kan Iron Pillars)"_

_Five unnaturally tall and thick pillars of steel, joined by chains fell upon the Hollowfied Vice-Captain, pinning her to the ground and saving Shinji from another brutal kick. Standing several feet away, sweating from his exertions was the Lieutenant of the Kido Corps, Hachigen Ushoda, his palms slammed together. Naruto was glad he was there, forgetting for a moment what the outcome of the battle was._

_Silently the Kido Lieutenant looked up to the sky, seeing Lisa desperately defending herself against the rapid strikes and punches of Kensei. He stretched out his right hand, palm open, eyes as hard as diamonds "Bakudo Rokujuusan; Sajo Sabaku (Way of Binding 63; Locking Bondage Straps)!"_

_A huge chain of golden locks appeared, coiling and tightening with terrifying speed around the Hollow. The power behind it seemed to stop Kensei in his tracks, immobilised he fell to the ground, landing beside the Kido Lieutenant with a painful thud._

"_Shinji, what is going on" the Lieutenant asked, his surprise evident "Why are Kensei and Machiro-" he stopped midsentence upon hearing the scratching noise of buckling chains and looked down to see the Hollowfied 9__th__ Division Captain forcefully break open the Kido. Naruto looked on, stunned, how the hell could someone break a level 60 Kido spell on pure strength?_

_His opinion was shared by Ushoda, who said the exact same thing, and jumped away as the behemoth broke the rope holding him down. From then on the battle just seemed to get worse, and it wasn't long until another Captain-level Shinigami joined Rose. He visibly winced when he saw Lisa's broken body slam into the ground with a sickening thud, blood flowing from her mouth. He instinctively took a step forward, she was his comrade. He needed to help her. Then he remembered that he wasn't really there, and cursed under his breath._

_Deranged by whatever happened to him, he had both Lisa and Rose at his mercy. Roses comment about Kensei going so low as to strike a woman seemed to enrage him further, if that was possible, and leaving Lisa's crumpled form Kensei went after Rose with a roar, his fist reeled back for another of his deadly punches._

_What he saw next was engraved in his memory for all time. He didn't even notice as Hachi slammed his hands together "Bakudo Kyuujuuku: Kin (Way of Binding 99; Seal)!"_

_Black spiritual ribbons, as strong as Sekiseki rock wrapped themselves around Kensei's arms and back. The first ribbon wrapping around his arms with blinding speed, tying them behind his back, another looped around his shoulders, slamming him into the ground, next came iron shafts, emblemmed with some unknown symbol stabbed into the loose strips on the ground, holding him down. _

_Naruto could only watch as the Hollowfied Shinigami struggled vainly against the spell, and knew it was hopeless. That was the most powerful of binding spells, unbreakable, and he didn't even hear an incantation from the Lieutenant. This guy was scary._

"_A level 99 binding Kido huh" Shinji asked, although he was clearly impressed "Not bad"_

"_I might have… [pant] overdone it a little" Hachi replied, breathing raggedly, powerful spells like that would definitely drain the user._

_Slowly the Captains and Lieutenants walked, limped and crawled around their imprisoned colleague, unsure of what to do. It was Shinji who spoke "And now, what do we have here?" he thought out loud before turning to Hachi "Can you fix him?"_

"_I can't fix it if I don't know what the problem is" the Lieutenant replied calmly._

_Hiyori was coughing again, more violently this time, and even from this distance Naruto could see that her little body was starting to convulse. He felt an ominous presence, something here was seriously wrong. Her suffering didn't go unnoticed by Hirako "What's the matter? Are you alright Hiyori?" when all he got was more coughing he turned back to Hachi "Take care of her first"_

"_Shin…ji" she managed between ragged coughs, she looked like she was about to vomit "Let…go" and she did vomit, but instead of throwing up her last meal a gush of white liquid came out instead. Before Shinji knew it a Zanpakuto slashed him diagonally along his chest. The others, including Naruto could only watch with shock._

_Shinji fell and Hiyori rose. A Hollow mask covering her face, dagger like teeth, a long sharp horn, a chain of raindrop symbols etched across her forehead. She was no longer Hiyori Sarugaki, she had been overtaken with whatever disease had taken Kensei and Mashiro._

"_Hiyori" Lisa shouted, more in shock than anything else._

"_Tch, what the hell is going on!?"_

_Before anything else could happen black tendrils encompassed the entire area, blocking Naruto's vision for a few heartbeats, looking about this dark abyss the Lieutenant thought something had gone wrong with the spell. But no, a few moments later his vision returned to be met with a massacre. Everyone was down, slash wounds the obvious culprit. Standing over them was a man wearing the white cloak of the 9__th__ Division, a man with goggles and a mask._

"_Tosen" both Naruto and a downed Shinji stated in disbelief as the 5__th__ Seated officer removed his goggles, and then pulled down his mask, revealing a man with dark brown skin and clouded eyes._

"_Why…did…you" Hirako managed through the pain "Betray Kensei…your own Captain?"_

_So it was Tosen, he had done it all. When Naruto saw him again he was going to beat him to a bloody pulp!!!_

"_He didn't betray anyone" another voice said, calm and stoic with a treacle of friendliness "He's very faithful. He just faithfully followed my orders"_

"_Aizen" Naruto stuttered in surprise. Wait, Aizen did this. He turned to see the Lieutenant walk calmly into the open, that small brat Gin Ichimaru flanking him. The fukutaicho had withdrawn his Zanpakuto from its sheath, holding it almost casually by his side._

"_Please don't blame him, Hirako-taicho"_

"_Aizen" Shinji growled vehemently "So it was you after all"_

"_You suspected, I should have expected as much"_

"_Of course I did"_

"_Since when?"_

"_Since you were in your mother womb"_

Any further conversation was lost to Naruto, as he watched his vision blurred, and he saw crimson. Feeling the sudden pain in his eyes he quickly raised his right hand into a basic sign and called out "Kaii!!!"

The landscape blurred, returning to its war torn aftermath once again. Taken by a sudden feeling of nausea he fell to his hands and knees, feeling something warm flow down his cheeks. He reached up with his left hand. Blood was seeping from his eyes.

He laughed without mirth "Now I know why it's a forbidden spell" he muttered under his breath as his recovery powers set to work, repairing the torn muscles and ruptured blood vessels behind his eyes "If I didn't have my regenerative powers I would have gone blind by now"

A buzzing sound assaulted his ears.

His detection field had been breached.

"Find anything, Naruto-kun"

He spun around, seeing the man he had seen in his Flow Walk, barely ten seconds ago "As a matter of fact I did, Aizen"

"Oh" the Lieutenant hummed "Anything interesting"

Their eyes met "You might say that"

He held the blondes orbs for a few moments, before lowering his head "I see"

A blade exploded through Naruto's chest.

* * *

_**The gods must hate me, I have searched for ages to find a brilliant Naruto fanfic writer, and when I finally find one he sends a hiatus post to all his stories. Lord of the Land of Fire was his name and he had written some truly brilliant works of fiction for the genre. In fact finding his page opened the floodgates, allowing me to find other awesome Natuto fics. In fact his works have inspired me to try my own what if story, but not until I finish one of my current fics.**_

_**But now his university life is nearing its end, and he has put all three of his main works on hiatus until the New Year. Just a month or two I suppose, but his work is addictive to read, a master of plot twists, able to keep you interested all the way through. The thousands of reviews he has for his longer stories speak for itself.**_

_**Anyway, annoyingly long rant over. I used several scenes from the Turn back the Pendulum miniseries to set up the chapter, and because of that I would just like to say…ahem…that Bleach is the property of Tite Kubo and Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, I write for fun and have made nothing from this fic, so please…PLEASE don't sue me lol.**_


	17. Awakening Fury

Chapter 16

_**Awakening Fury**_

He wasn't in front of him anymore.

The image of Sosuke Aizen seemed to become transparent, then shed into a hundred pieces, like his body had become a mass of leaves blown away by a sudden gust of air. Naruto heaved a gob of blood, the red liquid dribbling down the corners of his mouth as he looked down at the blade of a sword, stained crimson as it was pushed through his back and exited from his chest.

Aizen was behind him, both hands holding onto his Zanpakuto as he leaned in close, whispering a simple "Goodbye, Naruto-kun"

He blinked, and there was nothing. No body, no blood, just a black cloak which fell to the ground. Relaxing his stance the 5th Division Fukutaicho looked at his blade, expecting to see it smeared with blood, yet it was unblemished, clean and glimmering in the moonlight.

He smiled as he turned to see his adversary. Naruto stood ten meters away, untouched, hand resting on the hilt of his Zanpakuto, yet to be withdrawn from the sheath "Utsusemi huh?"

The child remained silent, eyeing him expertly, Aizen continued.

"A specialist technique of the Omnitsukido if I remember correctly, where the practitioner moves so fast that he leaves an afterimage behind" eyes meeting, neither moved an inch "Only hohō Masters can use it so flawlessly. Have you progressed far enough to be considered a master, Naruto-kun?"

"You might say that" was the blondes only reply, his eyes hardening to the point where they'd put diamonds to shame. He knew asking would be pointless, but the question just reverberated through his psyche, refusing to be quelled "How long have you been a traitor, Aizen?"

The man smiled that friendly smile, which was chilling under the circumstances "Since before you came to the Soul Society, probably before you were even born"

Naruto couldn't believe it. This soft spoken, polite individual was the mastermind behind these Hollowfication experiments? Even now, with the overwhelming visions it was hard to believe.

"I take it you used Flow Walk?" Naruto said nothing, managing to keep his surprise under control "A forbidden technique, forbidden because of the amount of damage it can do to the wielder, particularly to his or her sight. Using it for too long can tear muscles and pop blood vessels. I'm amazed you can still see"

"What can I say" Naruto replied with a shrug and a wry grin, wiping the remaining smeared blood from his cheeks "I'm a persistent little bastard"

Besides him self Sosuke smiled "That I have no doubt. But I have found that there is much more to you than meets the eye, Naruto-kun. The files on your past life are considered top secret, so much so that only a Captain or above can view them. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to get a copy of them" the blonde's mask slipped for a split second "Jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko, the most powerful of the Nine Biju, the tailed beasts of myth and legend"

"You figured it out" Naruto replied, deadpan "But sadly its too late, the oversized fuzz ball is long gone"

"The fox may be dead, but the power isn't. When you died the two chakra's merged, gaining all of his advantages and strengths. Incredible health and an immune system which could tackle any injury or disease and almost impossible reserves of spiritual pressure" the Lieutenant was acting as if he were discussing what he was having for lunch "Your power grows at a steady rate Naruto-kun. Don't you want to become more than just a Shinigami, under the rules and tyrannical reign of the Central 46? Don't you want to be able to harness your power and break the paltry boundaries set out for you?"

He didn't like where this was going "So that was the reason for these Hollowfication experiments, to see if you could push the boundaries, gain new heights of power?" he scoffed at this "With men like you it's always more power. I have seen too many like you in my past life, people who crave power and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, no matter how many innocent lives are taken, no matter how much suffering you cause its never enough until you reach your goal"

"You disapprove"

"Of course I disapprove" the blonde spat vehemently, his patience snapping "You do all this. You hurt people who you worked with, fought with, ate with and put your life on the line with. They trusted you and you threw them away like trash!"

"Ah you talk about emotional attachment" Aizen muttered the words like he had just cracked a puzzle "Such things are useless Naruto-kun, all they do is hold you back, stop you from reaching your goal. Such hindrances need to be removed"

"And that's why we'll never see eye to eye Aizen" Naruto drew his Zanpakuto "One last question, why Urahara?"

"Why not" he replied, folding his arms, his hands delving into the long sleeves of his shihakusho "It was Urahara who originally invented Hollowfication in the first place, all I needed to do was plant the suspicion. The Central 46 would have searched the 12th Division laboratory and found all the damning evidence they needed. Add to the point his being at the incident that night and there you have it. The perfect scapegoat" he seemed to think for a moment "Although I wasn't expecting Tessai or Yoruichi to be there, an extra bonus"

"Extra bonus" he asked, his teeth ground together in contained anger "Framing them as traitors is an extra bonus?"

"Why yes. It also removes several obstacles in my path, if she hadn't have acted then I may have been forced to kill her"

"Descend, Kazerasshu (Wind Lash)!"

Aizen sidestepped the condensed blade of air. His eyes not leaving the incensed 2nd Division Lieutenant even when the half powered Ten no Kaze struck and ran through a few trees at the other side of the clearing, causing them to topple over in a series of near deafening crashes.

"My, my" he muttered "Impatient aren't we"

Naruto wasn't listening, eyes glowing with barely contained power as he gripped the half meter long thin hilt of his released Zanpakuto, his posture stooped. No one threatened a person as precious to him as Yoruichi. She was his sensei, his friend, his elder sister in every sense of the word except through blood. On the other hand this man reminded him of one of only a few people he hated. He reminded Naruto of Kabuto Yakushi, the former Leaf nin who turned his back on the village and became Orochimaru's lieutenant, the man who played a part in the death of old man Sarutobi, the man who threatened to kill Tsunade.

"You know Aizen" Naruto said, his voice low and venomous "You remind me of someone I used to know when I was alive"

"Oh" he hummed.

"Yeah, I hated that man's guts"

It was then that Aizen's two partners in crime arrived at the scene. Kaname Tosen, stood flanking his masters left. Still wearing his white long coat, goggles and mask with his Zanpakuto, Suzumushi (Cricket), held in his right hand. Gin Ichimaru flanked his right, his own Zanpakuto, Shinso (Divine Spear) withdrawn from its sheath and held casually in his own hand.

"Aizen-sama" Tosen said calmly "Leave him to us"

"Yeah" Gin agreed with his usual fox like grin "We'll deal with this guy"

"Very well" the fukutaicho replied with a sigh, turning away from the blonde "I leave him to you"

He made it two steps when the sound of laughter stopped him. There was no emotion in this laughter, no mirth to speak off, and as the Vice-Captain turned to look at his counterpart he wondered at the man's mental state "Something funny, Naruto-kun?"

"Funny" the blonde asked, a malicious smile adorning his face "This isn't funny, this is insulting. Do you really think these two lightweights can stand up to me?"

"Aren't we cocky?"

"There's a world of difference between being cocky and being confident" Naruto replied with a grin.

"Oh" Aizen intoned with a trace of mirth "Is that so?"

Tosen blurred behind him, his Suzumushi withdrawn and swinging for his head. It swiped through an afterimage as the blonde jumped into the air, spun around and landed a perfect back kick to the man's face, sending him flying back and landing roughly on the ground. In a blur Naruto was above him, a malicious smile on his face and his sword held over his head for a downward stroke.

Kaname looked up and rolled to the side just as the huge blade of Kazerasshu dug into the earth. Tosen jumped to his feet and swung his sword, only to have his opponent sidestep, using his own huge sword to block. Pulling it from the ground the lieutenant lunged at his enemy, swinging his sword with an almighty roar.

Tosen blocked strike after strike, forcing him back as the blonde advanced, continuing his ruthless assault. Kaname flickered away, reappearing twenty meters from the vice-captain and pointing his hand to him, muttering the incantation for a Kido spell _"Hado Sanjuusan; Sokatsui (Way of Destruction 33; Blue Fire, Crash Down)!"_

From his middle and index finger the 5th Seated Officer fired a wide burst of blue spiritual energy, the tendrils crackling across the distance between the two combatants. Snarling in annoyance Naruto raised his free hand, palm open and shouted _"Bakudo Sanjuukyuu; Enkosen (Way of Binding 39; Arc Shield)!"_

A disk of pure yellow spiritual energy condensed in front of him, making a condensed rietsu round shield, easily large enough to cover his entire body from the attack. And cover him it did, the blasts of blue energy slammed against the shield, but was insufficient to break through. With a smirk Naruto blurred out of the line of fire with a Shunpo, appearing above Tosen, a Kido spell already spilling forth from his hands _"Hado Rokujuusan; Raikaho (Way of Destruction 63; Thunder Roar Cannon)!!!"_

A huge thunderbolt of condensed yellow energy exploded from his hands, slamming into the earth with such force that it kicked up dirt and dust around the impact site. Kaname was right in the middle of it. Completely by surprise by the speed which Naruto had executed such an advanced assault Kido. He was caught in the several thousand volts of the lightning strike, felt his skin burn, his body convulse before the explosion came, and he was thrown unceremoniously across the savannah. Hitting the ground hard and skidding to a halt.

Naruto landed on the ground, standing tall and proud from his sudden victory, his eyes once again starring pure venom at Sosuke Aizen. To his credit the man didn't seem to be fazed that the blonde had beaten one of his coconspirators so easily. Instead he bowed his head, a smile slowly creeping across his face.

"Gin, would you please deal with him?"

"Hai, Aizen-sama" in a quick move he drew his sword, reeled it back and stabbed out, calling "Pierce him, Shinso (Sacred Spear)"

Naruto saw the attack coming, sidestepped it with practiced ease and grabbed the blade with his free hand, it grinded against his flesh, blood flowing from his hand down the silver blade and dripping onto the ground. Ichimaru watched, stunned by the blondes movements, it was something Kenpachi Zaraki would have done. Doggedly hanging onto the blade, still smiling he raised his sword over his head, the blade humming with condensed power, screaming for a release.

"Ten no Kaze!"

The blade of condensed wind left his sword as he finished the chant, forcing the younger Shinigami to release his hold on his Zanpakuto and jump away, performing a Shunpo in midair. Growling Naruto looked down at the child's sword, returning to its original form, and nonchalantly tossed it away. Gin reappeared at the other side of the clearing, to be met with his opponent. His sword sheathed and his hands up in a basic fighting style.

The silver haired Shinigami raised his hands just in time to block a flurry of punches, so fast they were a blur to the eye. A punch got past his defense, slamming into his nose, breaking the bone and sending him stumbling, his defenses wide open Naruto assaulted his opponent with a flurry of well timed punches to the face and jaw, followed by a jumping knee to his chin, sending him flying into the air. As the 3rd Seated Officer was still in midair the blonde performed a somersault, bringing his heel down on Gin's head, slamming it into the earth with a crunch.

"That was a little uncalled for"

He turned to see Aizen, hands clasped behind his back. Appraising him like a teacher would a student who got an answer right "What can I say? I'm in a foul mood"

Eyes widened slightly, as if in realization "Ah"

"So can we start now?"

"Patience Naruto-kun" Aizen replied "You still haven't defeated my partners yet"

"What do you mean" the blonde asked with a smirk "Take a look around yo-"

"Bankai"

------

Sakura sat on her bed, looking out the window at the central courtyards of the barracks. It was just one thing after another, first four Captains and another four Vice-Captains were reported killed in the field by some unknown virus. Then another three Captains were tried and found guilty of creating and spreading the contagion, including Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin. And now Naruto and his entire Division, as well as the 12th and Kido Corps had been forcefully quarantined by the Central 46.

She sighed, leaning against a wall, outwardly calm, inwardly out of her mind with worry. She had known Yoruichi, at least she thought she had known her. The thought of her being involved in such a thing was difficult to believe at best. Kisuke Urahara she didn't know so well and the Kido Captain even less. But she was certain that Naruto wasn't involved, for the love of god he wasn't safe wandering around the 12th Division laboratory without causing an explosion.

Last time he came out pink.

But she was worried, hugging her legs. Chin settled against her knees she couldn't stop thinking about him. Was he alright? How was he dealing with what he heard? She had heard that Naruto had threatened to kill half the 1st Division for even insulting his sensei, him believing the allegations' was like Shikamaru actually doing work without complaining.

Her sliding door creaked open, forcing her from her thoughts "Neechan"

"Rangiku" Sakura asked in surprise, seeing the young strawberry blonde standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"I can't sleep" she muttered pitifully.

Smiling she patted a place beside her, and her little sister walked over and plopped down, leaning against the pinkette. Acting instinctively Sakura caressed her hair, allowing the much younger girl to lye on her lap "Don't worry" she cooed "I'm sure Naruto's fine"

"I hope so" the blonde whispered, she had definitely been crying, although she had hid it well Sakura just knew these things. News on Yoruichi hit her hard, very hard, and Sakura had pulled some strings, mostly groveling before her Captain, adhering to Unohana's humanity to allow Rangiku to stay with her in the barracks. It was a dead cert; Unohana-taicho had always had a soft spot for the girl.

She told her that Naruto would be fine, she continually told herself that. But she had a bad feeling in her gut which refused to go away, and with every second the feeling was only getting worse.

"Naruto" she breathed, looking out at the full moon "You better be alright"

------

It had been the perfect place to hide, a huge underground chamber, almost completely isolated from the rest of the Soul Society. It had been the place where Kisuke and Yoruichi had trained to be considered amongst the strongest of the Shinigami. It was where Kisuke experimented on special training aides. It was where Kisuke had learned Bankai, where Yoruichi had mastered Shunko and where Naruto had trained to become fluent with his Zanpakuto.

Now it was being used for another purpose, a scientific operation to try and help the Hollow-touched regain their rational minds, their humanity. It was incredibly risky, forcing the victims to face their Hollow selves in their mindscape, and incredibly volatile. It took a level ten dampening barrier and a fifteen layered defense barrier to keep it under control.

Then there was the fact that while the victim's minds were fighting the Hollow in their mindscape. The Hollows took over their bodies, going on a rampage to try and break free and wreak havoc on the world. Shinji's Hollow had been so volatile that it nearly tore through the barrier. Since then Yoruichi and Kisuke had taken turns, facing all eight in combat while their friends tried to regain their bodies.

It had been successful, and thankfully with no casualties, although all of the Hollow-touched had been considerably drained by the experience. The times of the battles had varied between a handful of seconds for Mashiro to roughly forty eight minutes for Hiyori.

Right now the Hollowfied Shinigami were either sleeping or wandering around the underground cavern, wondering what they would do. If they went before the Central 46 with their evidence against Aizen they would be executed because they were infected, and the evidence would have been thrown aside as hearsay.

When it was over Kisuke had collapsed, fully clothed, into the hot spring hidden behind a rock formation. Tessai had fallen flat on his face in the same place where he had been sitting for the last twenty four hours. Yoruichi had been more graceful with her movements, forcing herself to transform into a cat and jumping, head first, into the hot springs, leaving her clothes in a pile. Between surfacing for gasps of air and submerging back under the water Kisuke had said that he required a few hours of sleep before he could build the gateway to the living world.

While they relaxed Yoruichi was in deep thought, she had been in such a hurry to rescue Tessai and Kisuke that she hadn't thought about her Division or the people she would leave behind until it was too late. She thought of Rangiku, Soifon, her entire Division and Naruto. Did they believe that they were traitors? Would they hate her for deserting her post?

She hid a sad smile; of course they would hate her. She had just jumped into the vipers nest without a thought to save Kisuke, she deserved their rage, their fury, and she would bare it with gritted teeth. Her actions would break Soifon's heart, and it would thrust Naruto into a position he was not yet ready for.

Naruto would make a fine Captain, he was her perfect replacement. All he needed to do was master his Bankai and he would become a force to be reckoned with in the Soul Society. Raw power, intelligence in normal and combat conditions, kindness, understanding, the ability to look underneath the underneath as the Ninja of old would say.

She frowned. When she thought of Naruto she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling of fear and trepidation. Something was going on with Naruto, but she didn't know what. After a moment she came to the conclusion that it was just her nerves and tried to ignore the feeling.

------

"_Bankai"_

"_The final release of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto, only the most experienced and skilled of Soul Reapers can acquire it" Yoruichi had said when he asked her "Even in the four great noble families who are born with great spiritual pressure, only a few in a generation will ever attain the level. Those who achieve it are forever etched into the history of the Soul Society" She looked Naruto in the eyes "That is Bankai"_

He was encased in darkness, nothing but darkness. He could barely see his own hand in front of his face. He could not see, could not hear, and could not smell. He licked his finger as an experiment, and found that he still had touch and taste. That was something at least.

"_Suzumushi Tsuishiki; Enma Korogi (Cricket Final Form; Devil Cricket__)" _Tosen called out. Although by now his opponent could no longer hear him "This is my Bankai, Uzumaki Naruto. This entire space is my Bankai"

He flash stepped past Naruto, reappearing with his back to him, sword drawn and held out as if finishing a swing. A burst of blood splattered from a recently opened wound in his upper right shoulder, and on instinct the blonde reached up and gripped the injury, stifling a surprised yelp at the pain.

Gritting his teeth his mind was running a mile a minute, for just a second he saw a flicker of movement, it had happened when he was cut. He spun on his heel, releasing a Ten no Kaze in one direction, then another, firing off his signature attack blindly in the hopes of hitting his opponent.

"It is useless" Kaname muttered, flash stepping again, another explosion of blood soaked Naruto's shihakusho, a slash wound appearing on his left side "Firing blindly will do you no good, in here I can see your every move before you make it"

_That__ won't work;_ he saw a flicker of movement again before he received his second slash wound. If he could last a few more strikes, perhaps find a pattern in Tosens movements he could parry him, perhaps block him. Turning and spinning, as if hoping to see a flicker before he struck. He felt a slight spike, barely noticeable, and jumped back, the tip of the blade cutting his cheek, spilling more blood.

So there was a brief spike before he struck? But knowing when the attack was coming and from where were two different things. He felt a stab of pity for his opponent, this was all Tosen knew, he was blind to the world. But the pity was squashed quickly. He chose this path.

Another flicker and Naruto jumped away again, the sword nicking his lower arm which flew up instinctively to shield his face. Landing in a crouch, Kazerasshu still firmly gripped in his right hand he tried to think of a counter to this. Another strike came, quicker this time, a deep slash across his leg, cutting muscle and forcing him to a knee.

"How does it feel Naruto-san?" Kaname asked as he stood in front of him, sword held over his head for a downward stroke, ready to cleave his head in two "To lose your three main senses, to be attacked and not know when and where it is coming from"

Naruto couldn't hear him, eyes darting back and forth, face set in a grimace of pain as it came to him that his right leg was now useless. He felt another spike, and brought his sword up to block the downward stroke, followed by a counter swing which hit nothing. Stabbing his sword into the ground he used it to force him to his feet, his right leg limp and unable to take any weight.

Another spike and his left arm received a slash, he tried to dodge but his useless leg failed him and he landed in a heap, gritting his teeth as pain washed over him. He forced himself to a knee, cursing under his breath. His healing abilities would not be able to fix his leg in time for the next strike. He was helpless.

Using his sword for leverage he forced himself to his feet once again, panting heavily and sweating profusely from his exertions. Blood flowing from his several slash wounds and pooling onto the floor in thick drops. Then he felt pain, and saw Tosen appear in front of him, his form shaded in blacks, whites and grays. He looked down, seeing the Zanpakuto stabbed into his abdomen, exiting through his back.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-san" Kaname spoke, his lips moving yet no sound coming forth "But this is the end"

Darkness flooded his vision, beginning on the edges and closing in, before long he felt like he was in a long tunnel, moving further away from the opening. Eyes blinked and drooped until half lidded. _Damn it, why did I do this? Why did I go through all this just to die here!? Damn, stay awake, stay awake, stay awake…STAY AWAKE!_

As the darkness overtook his vision he heard a voice, quiet yet it seemed to release a distorted echo through his mind.

"_Tch"_

------

He looked upon the creation settled onto the clearing, a huge black dome, anchored to the ground by nine thick silver cables. Each cable was speared into the ground, attached to etched ring designs on the fabric of the dome.

"So he used his Bankai" Aizen said, watching the abnormality and ignoring Gin as he walked up to him, hand forcing his nose back in place with a growl of agony, eyes as hard as diamonds "How do you feel Ichimaru"

"If Tosen doesn't kill him I will" the silver haired kid growled.

"Now, now Gin, injuries happen in battle"

Ichimaru didn't reply, spending a few more moments forcing his nose back into place before frowning. There was a sudden surge of rietsu within the dome, a tainted spiritual pressure. It was hard to be sure; Kaname Tosen's Bankai had an effect of blanketing any rietsu within that black void.

"Well this is interesting" he looked to his master, seeing the grin spread across his face "It seems that Naruto-kun is a natural"

Gin didn't ask what he meant, had a bad feeling he didn't want too.

------

A hand shot up, gripping his Zanpakuto and holding it firmly in place. Something was happening. White specks of some unknown material was forming in midair and coalescing around his face, but with his head held low in a bow it was almost impossible to see what was happening.

Hollowfication was Tosen's first guess, it was only logical. He had been injected with the virus, the carrier so it would spread to all around him. But something about this process was wrong. Usually the mask would force itself through the eyes, mouth, ears and nose, and once it had formed the victim would explode, or become immobile. But there was no white liquid coming from the blonde's eyes, nor his nose, ears or mouth. The process wasn't happening, but why did he feel this evil rietsu?

The mouth moved, and even though Tosen was blind he could understand it _**"My, my, my, what trouble have you gotten yourself into now?" **_

"Impossible" Kaname said, trying to pull his weapons from the man, but the hand holding it was unmovable "What is this!?"

A wry grin formed on the blonde's lips, sending a chill down the seated officer's spine. Then the head rose, and Kaname felt his heart stop. Forming across his face was a white mask, already encompassing the upper right eye and forehead, pieces of white porcelain formed a long pointed ear with a black tip, and a slanted, slightly diagonal thin slit overtook the eye. The being emitted a throaty growl, chilling Tosen further, he wasn't hearing it. It was being transmitted to his mind.

"_**What a useless child, must I do everything myself?"**_

"What are you? Who are you?"

"_**What am I? Good question"**_

A glow emitted from the thin slit, crimson, and Kaname looked on to see the uncovered portion of his face change. Canines elongated to three times their normal length. Eyes changed, the whites seemingly flooded by some black liquid, like putting dye into a glass of water. The irises flickered and convulsed, turning from oceanic blue to bloody crimson. Pupils turned into thin vertical black slits. The whisker markings on his cheeks seemed to turn into black crevices of shadow. Naruto Uzumaki looked demonic and the spiritual pressure which oozed from him was suffocating.

Like flooding water the mask continued its advance, covering his face in a porcelain white shell. Eyes which still glowed with that same maniacal red were partially hidden in the shadows produced by the slits. Two pointed ears with black tips, dagger like teeth drew back in a feral grin, whisker like lines across the cheeks. It was a Hollows mask, the Hollow mask of a fox.

"_**Who am I? Well…I don't feel like telling trash!!!"**_

Crimson rietsu exploded from his form, encompassing him, condensing into nine long tail-like protrusions, curling and writhing as if each one had a life of its own. Tosen gasped in both surprise and fear, clouded eyes widening at what he saw in the darkness of his Bankai. Something was taking form above his opponent, among the swirling tails of rietsu. A long snout, bone crushingly sharp teeth, black eyes, long ears, it reminded him of a feral fox. It looked down at him, opened its mouth, and roared a silent scream which went straight through him.

This was not Hollowfication, if it where then he would be unable to move.

Laughter bubbled forth in his mind, deafening, maddening laughter.

Then Naruto raised his Zanpakuto and swung.

------

_His inner world had changed__._

_Sure it was always in blacks, whites and grays; he had come to accept that. But the village itself had changed, turning from the simple place he knew from his childhood into a warzone. Rubble from surrounding buildings littered the streets, shop fronts had been destroyed, holes were in the walls, and some building had completely collapsed._

_This was a warzone._

_Instead of the usual clear sky with the odd dab of white cloud there was darkness. Gray storm clouds overtook the beautiful sky, rain battered on the ground in torrents, drenching him within seconds, the odd strike of lightning stabbed to the ground in a flash of white. A storm like this in his inner world could only mean one thing, and for him it was certainly not good._

"_Hey Kazerasshu" he called through the battering rain "Where are you?"_

_No answer._

"_Come on man this is no time for a 'come to me' moment!"_

_Still no answer_

_He was scared. If Kazerasshu didn't come to him he usually left a trail of spiritual pressure for him to follow. But no matter how hard he concentrated he felt nothing, not even a spark of the black haired, silver eyed Ninja. For all intents and purposes this place was dead._

_Then he felt it, a powerful force fall on his shoulders, threatening to tear him down to the ground. He heard the sounds of something big landing on top of the Hokage mansion, ripping apart timber with a great shred. Turning he looked up to the observation floor and paled._

_Balancing itself on the open topped floor, claws' digging into the timber and concrete was a fox. But it was different than any fox he had ever seen. Instead of crimson fur his body seemed to be covered in a white carapace, with the only other color being the black claws, snout and ear tips. Nine long tails, bushy in appearance twirled around him, some wrapping themselves around the mansion, others lying limp, others still just swaying back and forth. But his eyes got Naruto's attention, because unlike the rest of the world they held color which was not in blacks, whites or grays. The eyes were crimson, and they were focused on him with a murderous hunger._

_A throaty growl assaulted his senses, distorted and nightmarish __**"So we meet again, Gaki!"**_

* * *

_**Yeah, yeah I know, I'm evil, hehe. Anyway next chapter will be up in a week or two. **__**For those of you who didn't want a Hollow, well sorry but it was decided long before I uploaded the first chapter, I just thought Hollow Naruto and giggled like a raving lunatic. **_

_**And if you're wondering if this little transformation was a little sudden, think again. Take another read at the beginning of Destiny Awaits (The Nightmare), his battle with Kenpachi and his first Ten no Kaze strike, they all had signs.**_


	18. Dark Side of the Universe

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Dark Side of the Universe**_

"_You're not him"_

_He looked up at the fox, his face a passive mask of calm while inside he was descending into the madness of panic. Grappling on top of the Hokage mansion, claws dug into the walls and floor the beast looked at him with animalistic eyes._

"_You can't be him. That bastard fox is dead!"_

"_**You seem so sure of that Gaki"**__ was the animal's reply, crimson eyes not leaving his oceanic blue, even for an instant._

"_Of course I'm sure" Naruto shot back "I have not felt even a spike from him in over a decade. I've been inside his cell, searched my mindscape through meditation to the smallest detail. He is not here anymore, and your power is pathetic compared to his. So my question is this, who are you?"_

_The creature sneered, bearing its sharp teeth, and then it threw its head back and laughed, the sound seemingly generating a small earthquake which shook buildings and sent pieces of broken rubble to the ground __**"I am the kyubi, yet I am not. You are right the main consciousness is gone, but remnants of him remain. I am the result of a manifestation of those remnants"**_

_With a crunch of wood and stone he jumped from the mansion, and Naruto watched in open shock as its form changed in midair, its body seemingly imploding, tails vanishing, claws turning to hands, fur vanishing to reveal skin. It landed on sandaled feet, standing before him._

_Naruto took a step back in open shock, what stood before him was no longer a ten meter long fox. What stood before him was a deformed manifestation of him. Eyes closed, hands at his sides, the beast was the spitting image of Naruto Uzumaki. A white Shihakusho with black trim, skin a paltry white, hair a shade of gray, black whisker markings on his cheeks. The creature opened its eyes, and mirth filled crimson eyes with sickle irises starred at him._

"_**What I am gaki is a combination of the Kyubi no Yoko and yourself, I am your dark side, your yang. I am representative to all your dark thoughts and desires. I am your opposite, your negative, all the things you hate I embody!"**_

"_Where's Kazerasshu?"_

"_**I got some bad news for you gaki" **__the fox demon answered with a mad grin, he screamed the next words with laughter inhuman to Naruto's senses __**"I am Kazrasshu!!!"**_

_Naruto had heard enough, and in a flash he quick drew his Zanpakuto from its sheath. Watching in surprise as the demon before him mirrored his move flawlessly, like looking at himself in a mirror._

"_Descend, Kazerasshu!!!"_

"_**Descend, Kazerasshu!!!"**_

_Two blades of condensed air shot from the swinging swords, slamming together with an almighty crash, one had the tint of his usual blue spiritual pressure, while the other was tinted red. The explosion created a miniature tornado which twisted its body before dissipating._

_When the kicked up dirt and smoke cleared both Naruto and his opponent stood facing each other, a colourless version of Kazerasshu held in his white hand. His face bearing a toothy smile completely the opposite of his own, malicious and full of mocking._

"_How do you know Ten no Kaze?" his opponent did not answer, that same mocking smirk on his face "When did you learn Ten no Kaze?"_

"_**How, when, aren't you full of questions" **__'Naruto' replied mockingly __**"I learned that move the same time you did gaki. Like I told you, I am you and you are me" **__he held his sword in front of him with both hands, blade pointed up towards the storm cloud sky, concealing his face __**"And I know your other move, the one you were planning to use against Tosen when you had an opening"**_

_He felt a spiritual pressure, finely controlled to a razors edge encircle him, crackling with power which was a hairsbreadth from going out of control. He knew the signature well. He had spent the better part of five years trying to perfect his own rietsu for the technique. _

_He knew what he was preparing, and was determined to stop him "Ten no Kaze!!!"_

_His head tilted to the right, bringing his head within line of sight of Naruto, with a smirk he called the techniques name __**"Ten no Arashi (Heavenly Whirlwind)!"**_

------

Tosen watched in horror as the blade sliced across his chest, blood exploding from his wound and splattered onto the ground. He jumped back, skidding to a halt, finally able to remove his sword from his apparently dying opponent's grasp, holding onto his wound with his free hand, trying to stop the flowing blood spilling onto the rock.

Panting, short of breath and feeling blood sift into his lungs from the strike. He looked up to see a mass of crimson dust. A gust of wind followed, dissipating the mist to show Naruto Uzumaki, his face completely obscured by the mask he had seen. He saw crimson eyes with black sickle pupils, half hidden by the shadows of the slits, starring at him, starring through him.

Gathering his rietsu Kaname poured it into his wound, forcing the suture closed and temporarily healing his nicked lungs. He took a shaky breath, was satisfied he could breathe again and brought his senses back to Naruto, who was still looking at him. Still as a statue, crimson eyes starring holes into him.

He couldn't see him, it was impossible. His Bankai was still active. He began moving, circling the Hollowfied blonde, and watched to his growing horror that the eyes were following him, the body making subtle changes to follow his movements.

"Impossible" he whispered.

Slowly, deliberately he raised his free hand in the shape of a claw, a ball of crimson energy appearing in the palm, swirling with condensed energy. It shot out with a small explosion of crimson mist, its aim perfectly accurate and Tosen was the target. Bringing his sword up, he swung his Suzumushi, the blade impacting against the crimson ball, slicing the projectile neatly in half. The severed pieces slamming into the ground nearly ten meters behind him with a duo of muffled explosions.

He turned, looking at the remnants of the attack with wide eyes. That move was almost perfectly like a Bala, in fact it was a Bala. He turned to stare into the crimson eyes of the Hollowfied Uzumaki. He had come at him at a run, swinging Kazerasshu so fast it blurred. An explosion followed, kicking up dust, and Kaname exploded from the smoke, skidding to a halt in a crouch.

"No, this is impossible" he growled, before roaring at the creature "How can you see me!!!"

The creature did not reply, instead its head was darting left and right, body slightly stooped, hands forming into claws. Wait, it looked like he was blinded again. He tested this theory, rushing towards him, swinging his sword for it to collide against Kazerasshu.

The two looked at each other. There was a throaty release of inhuman breath. It closed its eyes for a moment, then opened them, the orbs seemingly glowing a darker shade of red than before _**"Ten no Arashi!"**_

There was a visible blade of wind, and that was the last he saw before he was picked up from his feet and thrown through the air, watching as his Bankai was torn apart by an attack, the dark rietsu seemingly flowing into the air surrounding him, until it was sparking with energy.

Aizen looked on as the black dome which was Kaname Tosen's bankai heaved, convulsed and finally was torn to shreds. A huge twister exploding from the top, reaching up into the heavens, dragging pieces of rock and uprooting several young trees and bushes, throwing them unceremoniously across the clearing. This was more than a simple technique, whatever the blonde had used had been heavily augmented by some twisted, dark power.

Both Aizen and Ichimaru remained where they were, ignoring the debris flying overhead, slamming into the tree line, knocking over and snapping a few hundred year old trees. At the other side of the clearing they saw Tosen fall to the ground like a comet, slamming into the dirt, leaving a trail of heaved earth in his wake. He bounced like a stone across a lake, finally coming to a stop in a limp heap.

He wasn't getting back up anytime soon.

"What did that" he looked to his young protégé, his usually slanted eyes opening slightly in surprise, revealing his ice blue orbs "What is this power?"

Indeed a monstrous spiritual pressure was descending on the area, dark, twisted and animalistic in nature. It blanketed the battle ground, sparking the very atmosphere. The smoke where Kaname's bankai had once been dissipated with a sudden gust and Naruto Uzumaki became visible, Kazerasshu held limply in his right hand. Except it wasn't the 2nd Division Lieutenant anymore. Crimson eyes glowed in the dark; a porcelain white Hollow mask with black markings became visible in the dim, a fox mask.

"A Hollow mask" Gin frowned "But we didn't put him through the Hollowfication process, did we?"

Sosuke looked at the figure, revelling in the dark energy he felt "No, we didn't. It appears Naruto-kun had this power within him all along. Buried in the deepest corners of his mind, waiting, craving for release" he smiled "And I think the Kyubi no Yoko has something to do with it, it reminds me of the creature, yet still so very different"

His musings were cut short as the Hollow caste his monstrous gaze on him. A low, throaty growl escaped from behind the mask, growing in volume. Small cracks appeared around the dagger like teeth decorations, and with a loud crack it was forced open. The demon threw its head back and roared, a sound wave exploding forth. Behind the opened mouth was another, more human mouth, with incisor teeth at least thrice the length of normal.

It leaned forward and a small ball of crimson energy formed in front of the mouth, growing until it was the size of a water melon, twisting and writhing with power. Aizen knew what it was immediately, and he knew this was what he was seeking to complete the Hollowfication process, no other Hollow-touched Shinigami had shown anything near this kind of potential.

The ball of energy was a cero.

Gin was in front of him, his hands out. The phrases of a high level Kido spell spilling forth from his mouth. Then the Hollow was gone, vanishing with a thunderous boom. That was a Sonido, definitely a Sonido. The more of this things ability Aizen saw the more he wanted it to study.

It reappeared above them, in free fall, hands outstretched, that same cero firing forth from its mouth. Both Shinigami jumped away from ground zero with Shunpo. But Gin was a split-second too slow as the ball hit the ground with a deafening explosion. He was caught in the shockwave and sent spiralling across the clearing, landing with a sickening crack as his right leg hit the ground, and snapped like a twig. He bounced three times before hitting the ground, rolling to a halt, clearly out of the fight.

The 5th Division Lieutenant whistled. Such destructive power, he had been so busy trying to create a Hollow/Shinigami hybrid that he did not stop to think that such beings may have already existed. To take one and study it would hold so many keys to unlocking that power.

He turned to the Hollowfied Naruto as he landed on the ground in a crouch, rose and watched him with a calculating eye and a deep growl echoing from his throat. With a smile Aizen withdrew his sword from its sheath, and held it in front of him.

"Very well Naruto-kun. Let us see who will be victorious" he stated, before casting his gaze to his unsheathed sword "Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon)!"

------

_The Ten no Kaze was on course, with enough power to rip an opponent in half. Instead it slammed against an invisible barrier, lashes of wind became visible, twisting and turning around his hollow form like a small tornado. His wind strike clashed with the barrier, held for just a second, then dissipated into nothing._

_All Naruto could do was watch as the tornado which was Ten no Arashi swirled around his opponent, it began to convulse and implode, then it exploded. The blonde was picked up like a ragdoll, thrown through the air and slammed into a half demolished building, the structure collapsing around him as he went through the outer and supporting walls._

_The Hollow stopped his attack and watched the demolished structure with a smirk on his face, a smirk which widened to a feral grin as the rubble exploded, pieces of rock and timber thrown in every direction, slamming into opposing buildings and leaving trails in the dirt road. _

_Naruto stood, stooped. Form encompassed by rietsu, swirling in a mass of blues, his eyes shining with barely contained power. He reeled back his sword and swung, a blast of condensed air forming and firing at his adversary, then another, and another, and another. Blast after blast of power, and each one was deflected by his opponent's sword, his Zanpakuto and arm moving in an indistinguishable blur._

_He leaned back, and brought up his sword just in time to block Naruto, the blonde had rushed up to him, his form a blur and putting all his weight forward slammed his sword into his Hollows, a mass of sparks leaving the blades. The blonde snarled, and his Hollow half seemed surprised by his sudden aggression. Then he smiled maniacally _

"_**Better"**_

_He vanished in a blur, and Naruto nearly fell flat on his face from the lack of weight. He looked up to see his opponent, laughing like a madman, sword reeled back for a Ten no Kaze. He swung, releasing a blast of red tinted, condensed air. It slammed into the ground._

_Naruto reappeared on a rooftop of a still stable building, his free hand pointing to him, the words for a Kido spell leaving his lips "Hado Rokujuusan; __Sōren Sōkatsui (Way of Destruction 63; Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down)!"_

_Two blasts of blue flame__ escaped from his hand, each one crackling with barely contained power strong enough to level a city block. The two bursts shot out, heading towards his Hollow half at breakneck speeds, slamming into the ground with a mass explosion of dirt and dissipating blue fire, leaving a ten meter wide and two meter deep crater. There was no sign of his opponent._

"_**Not bad gaki"**__he looked up to come face to face with his enemy. For all intents and purposes it felt like he was looking at a ceiling mirror __**"Not bad at all"**_

_With a roar he swung his sword.__ Naruto jumped back, the tip of the blade nicking his abdomen. Skidding back across the rooftop he managed to stop before he went over the edge._

"_**Let me ask you something gaki" **__the demon asked, lips pulled back in a feral smile, showing lengthened incisors __**"What is the difference between a warrior and his sword?"**_

"_What?"_

"_**Oh don't worry. This is not a stupid riddle…it's a simple question. What is the difference between one with power and one without?" **__he turned to face Naruto, his feral snarl not leaving his face, black eyes shining like diamonds __**"When there are two beings which are exactly the same. How does one decide who will lead and who will follow" **__he didn't answer, and the silence brought a grin to the Hollows face __**"The answer is simple; a killer instinct. That's how one defeats another, that's how someone defeats an equal opponent, the will to fight, the will to win, the will to kill!"**_

_He was beside him then, Zanpakuto in the middle of a swing which had enough force to cleave him in two __**"And that is why I will win!!!"**_

_------_

He flash stepped past Uzumaki, his sword finishing a stroke. The blonde's shoulder blade exploded in a mass of crimson blood. Then there was another explosion of white, the wound sealing itself before his very eyes. He shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Aizen, eyes feral and barely an inch away from going berserk.

"Hmm, instant regeneration" Sosuke muttered to himself, before performing another Shunpo, in the blink of an eye Naruto's form seemed to explode as a dozen slashes hit their mark, sending him falling to the ground and flailing like a wounded animal. Then there was another small mass of explosions of white liquid, and the injuries instantly healed.

With a throaty hiss Naruto jumped to his feet and stretched before turning to stare at Aizen again. This time he acted, raising his hand and unleashing a cero, the crimson energy passed straight through Aizen and slammed into the forest, destroying trees and sending pieces of rock, wood and dirt into the air.

"Your regenerative powers are impressive Naruto-kun" 'Naruto' turned, seeing Aizen several meters away and walking towards him, sword held ready in his right hand and face as passive as ever "Or should I even call you Naruto-kun? Do you have a name?"

Another hiss escaped from his throat, low and threatening before he vanished in a blur _**"A name you say?" **_Aizen spun around, his sword up just in time to block a powerful swing from the Hollow touched, he skidded a meter before digging his heels in, eyes wide as he came face to face with the porcelain mask and crimson eyes _**"Don't know, don't care"**_

Aizen smirked, his form paling and flecking to the wind. Demonic eyes widened slightly, and then he felt a sudden spike. Spinning around to see Aizen, his index and middle fingers stabbing into his chest, a wicked smile adorning his face _"Hado Kyuujuu; _**_Kurohitsugi (Way of Destruction 90; Black Coffin)!"_**

He barely had enough time to notice an outline forming around him before he was enclosed in a huge box made of black spiritual energy at least a storey tall. It convulsed, and several dozen spears of black energy seemed to explode from its form, like a dozen swords had been stabbed through.

The box then seemed to break apart and disappear in a swirl of wind, leaving the Hollowfied Naruto, blood exploding forth from minute cut and stab wounds across his body. In a blur Aizen was in motion, the Black Coffin had weakened him, now he would finish it. Forming his free hand into the shape of a claw he grabbed the masked boys head and in a smooth motion slammed it into the ground, a large crater bearing the power of the attack.

The mask cracked, and shattered under the force of his blow, blood flowing from the back of his head and pooling on the ground. The possessed eyes bulged in surprise and sudden pain before clouding over, mouth slightly agape.

Aizen rose to his feet, looking at the blood dripping from his hand, his hand was caked in it "I would have liked to take you alive Naruto-kun, but I suppose a body will have to do"

------

_The Hollow stopped in the middle of his swing, his head turning, as if he spotted something at the edges of his vision. Stooping over, breath leaving him in shrill gasps, Naruto starred at his opponent. _

"_What, you forget something?"_

_The Hollowfied Kyubi looked over to him like he just noticed he was there, shrugged and smirked __**"Nothing you need to worry about, apparently some fool thinks I can be defeated, I plan on proving him wrong" **__he was encompassed by crimson power as he spoke __**"That should do it"**_

_The power left him and with a crazed laugh he finished his swing, unleashing another red tainted Ten no Kaze._

------

The power dimmed to almost nonexistent. Then it exploded, doubling and then tripling. Aizen spun around, surprised at this sudden increase in power from a dead man. He had beaten him, crushed his head with his hand like a melon, hit him with a Kido designed to rip an opponent limb from limb.

He turned to see Naruto's broken body rise to his feet, on his hands and knees, the crushed bone and exposed viscera at the back of his head reforming and healing with a series of sickening cracks. His eyes shinned with crimson power, whisker markings darkening and deepening further, his incisors growing sharper and longer, his face transforming into a more bestial visage before being overtaken by the porcelain mask again.

A dense layer of rietsu became visible, twisting and convulsing before forming into a mass of red liquid, bubbles forming and popping. It took a shape, the liquid around his hands turning into claws, long ears formed over his head and a long, single tail came into being on his lower back, swishing like a real appendage.

It took a step, the ground at his foot charring, burning black from the exposed spiritual pressure. Aizen looked at the rietsu covered form, eyes shinning with excitement and intrigue "My, my Naruto-kun, you certainly aren't disappointing"

It vanished, and Aizen barely had enough time to jump away as the boy came down, rietsu covered hand, no, claw, slamming into the ground, creating another large crater. The Lieutenant landed in a crouch, skidding to a halt and watching the monstrous being in front of him.

This was beyond any expectations he had thought possible, the power was immense, well beyond any of the other Hollow-touched. This one had intelligence beyond a simple animal, it had power to rival and even surpass an average Captain and it had abilities that the other experiments hadn't even begun to show.

Naruto crouched and vanished in a blur, the ground at his feet shattering as he blurred from view. He reappeared in front of Aizen, face set in a snarl and clawed hand outstretched, another explosion, another crater. Aizen blurred back to the world, watching as Naruto's head darted right and left like a hungry predator.

It spotted him and reached out with his right hand, the rietsu appendage lengthening, shooting forth and growing, by the time it reached Aizen it took the shape of a giant claw of condensed spiritual pressure, and came down like a hammer to an anvil.

"Limb lengthening and enlargement" he muttered, as he flash stepped past him and slashed him with his sword, the blade barely able to break the rietsu cloak it was so dense "A cloak of power which defends you, ferocity, strength, speed, Hollow abilities like Cero and Bala. What else can you do, Naruto-kun?"

He only got a snarl in response.

------

"_**You will never be strong enough gaki!"**_

_Naruto ran through the cratered and rubble strewn streets, fully aware of the crackling energy and explosions behind him. He had been dodging and running from the attacks for what seemed like an eternity. This Hollow-touched version of himself had all of his abilities, all of his power, all of his weapons. Physically he was like him in almost every way._

"_**Hado Sanjuuichi; Shakkaho (Way of Destruction 31; Shot of Red Fire)!"**_

_He braced himself as another volley of crimson balls fell on him, he continued running, not missing a beat as they landed and exploded around him, kicking up clouds of smoke and dirt. He flew through the smoke screen, hands crossed over his upper body for any second attack._

_A small swarm of shuriken fell on him like rain. He was able to miss most of them, but not all. Two imbedded themselves in his arms, another on his leg. Ignoring the pain, quickly pulling the throwing stars from his body, squirting blood, he continued to run through the main street. Skidded to a halt and made a beeline down a side alley as a wave of kunai, explosive tags flickering in their wake riddled the streets. An explosion of smoke followed. Ignoring the blood dribbling from his wounds he reached another main street, only to hear a voice, cruel and merciless assault his ears._

"_**Is that all your good at gaki?" **__he looked up to see his Hollow form, smirking, the huge form of a Fuma Shuriken spinning in his left hand __**"Running!?"**_

_He threw the huge shuriken, the star shaped blade spinning so fast its blade edges blurred together in a mass of silver. Naruto focused on it, there was a second shuriken hidden in the shadow of the first, the old 'Demon Wind' trick. He jumped, bringing his body horizontal. Watching with baited breath as the two shuriken passed him by, one above him, the other below. So close they cut off a few strands of his hair. He gripped a kunai, watched as the lower projectile exploded, sending its blades soaring in every direction, one was heading for him. He threw the kunai, the small blade sparking as it intercepted the serrated edge and changed its trajectory, sending it through a weakened wooden wall._

_Landing on his feet, he was forced to spin so as not to loss his balance and come down to a crouch, small shuriken sliding into his hands in mid-spin. Using his momentum he threw the projectiles in two waves, each aimed for and around his Hollow form. A smirk on his face the kyubi Hollow performed several spinning backward somersaults to miss the barrage of small blades. It was his turn again, using his own momentum he swung 'Kazerasshu', releasing a Ten no Kaze. He continued his spin, throwing a trio of explosive tagged kunai from his other hand, a short bark of mad laughter leaving him as he did so._

_Naruto jumped, missing the wind blade, and as he hit the ground he skipped from side to side, missing the knives which embedded themselves on the ground, and exploded as the fluttering tags set themselves off. He hit the ground, skidding backwards to a halt. It was his turn again. Only his Hollow wasn't there anymore._

"_**My, my, my" **__he turned to come within centimetres of the distorted, animalistic facade of his own face, the grin still in place __**"You are indeed skilled gaki, you have taken to mastering the four Soul Reaper forms well, yet you have not forgotten your Ninja training. I should know after all, everything you know, I know!"**_

_He stepped back, growling as the Hollow let out another low grunt of laughter, distorted and completely inhuman to his senses __**"but enough playing, lets finish this!"**_

_He looked into his demons eyes, and found to his horror that he could not move, his arms and legs seemed to have frozen. His head wouldn't turn. His body wouldn't react. All that seemed to be working was his eyes, darting wildly as he tried to will his suddenly immobile body to move, and his heart, which was beating so fast it felt like a drum._

_He raised 'Kazerasshu' and brought it down._

_He closed his eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable blow, to find there was none. He opened his eyes again to see his Hollow form, still grinning maniacally, blade in the middle of a downward stroke. But he was frozen in place, like someone had pushed pause on time itself._

"_You appear to be having problems, Naruto"_

_He turned to see a familiar and very welcome figure approach "Kazerasshu"_

------

It roared a bloodthirsty cry, and a third tail seemed to form into existence at the small of its back, joining its two other siblings as they swished about like they had individual minds of their own. By them just moving they unleashed gusts of gale force winds, and the sound wave from the bloodthirsty cry brought a chill up the spine of all who heard it.

The boys features were still changing, a white liquid like skin was flowing from his pores, flooding across his body and hardening to make a white carapace skin, at the moment only the right side of his body had changed, but the power threatened to break through his dampening wards and leak out to the whole of the Soul Society.

Naruto was out of control, and if he escaped from him he could wreck havoc on the Seireitei and the Rukongai district. It would take half the Gotei to stop him. That could not be allowed to happen. They would know he had something to do with what had happened here.

Aizen bit his lip, drawing blood. He really wanted to study this perfect, natural Vizored. With it he could complete the Hollowfication process. But he had to admit to himself that trying to restrain this creature and not gain the attention of the Shinigami was too great a feat, even for him.

But Sosuke Aizen was resourceful, and he always had a backup plan in case his first failed. That was just as he was, always thinking a dozen steps ahead. Always making secondary plans for every possible scenario, and here, now, he had no choice.

"It is a pity Naruto-kun" he said, disappointed "I would have preferred to study you, but it seems this avenue is closed to me" he crouched "You have forced my hand…_Negación_"

High above them the sky began to crack, the line forming into a huge unopened maw, continuing like it was forming along a pane of glass. Molars formed and finally, with a silent scream it was wrenched open. From this recently opened hole between worlds came three huge creatures wearing black cloaks, their Hollow masks taking the form of long faces with pointed noses and a maw of closed serrated teeth.

The three looked down upon the battlefield, and roared in unison, a hollow sound, like a noise muffled by a great distance. Then as if the heavens themselves acted a long spear of yellow light pierced through the sky and fell upon the half transformed Naruto, encircling him in a box of pure energy. Then he was pulled off his feet, and slowly lifted into the sky. The half transformed Shinigami's head darted left and right, looking around in bewilderment at this sudden occurrence.

Standing, looking up at the steadily rising Hollow-touched Aizen could only breathe a sigh of both disappointment, and relief. If he had continued to rise in power like that he doubted he could keep up, not without unleashing his Bankai, and then his cover would have most certainly been blown.

He stood rooted in place, watching as the Hollow reincarnation of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox was slowly lifted through the giant open maw of the Garganta, which clamped shut and vanished. In the cool night air, Sosuke Aizen felt one of the strongest spiritual pressures he had ever surveyed disappear.

------

"No"

Rangiku looked up questioningly, and looked on in shock as Sakura's eyes snapped open, wide as dinner plates, fear and panic evident in the emerald orbs. She continued to watch, dumbstruck as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Sakura and Naruto's relationship wasn't exactly a steady one, sure they had gone out for a year after their graduation from the Shinigami Academy, but the distance and the workload of their positions had been too much for them to hold onto it. After that they tuned it down, meeting up for lunch or a few drinks after a shift, going out with friends, and occasionally when one of them really needed it they would share each others bed.

They would have been considered best friends to all those around them, and they were, however the real term for them was 'Friends with Benefits'. But their connection was a little deeper than that, because of the intensity of their relationship they could sense each others rietsu from half a world away, and during all this time the pinkette had been kept awake, feeling her best friend and lovers rietsu rise and fall unstably, then it became stronger than she had ever felt it, and finally it just vanished.

She had sat up in bed, her senses canvassing where she had felt him, but there was nothing, not even a drop of spiritual pressure. It was like he had just fallen off the face of the map, like he had never existed. But it had been so subtle. She had thought he had been training himself into the ground, like he usually did when he was upset about something.

"Onee-chan, what is it" Rangiku asked, sitting up and gripping her friends shoulders "What's wrong, tell me!?"

Sakura looked up to her, eyes red she muttered but a few words, but they were enough to break Rangiku's heart again "Naruto…he's…" she broke down in a fit of sobs.

"You're lying" the teenager whispered with a breaking voice "He couldn't be…but he was in the 2nd Division barracks…wasn't he?"

Sakura no longer had the strength to reply, her entire form convulsing with sobs she fell to the timber floor, laying there on her hands and knees, her right fist hitting the wooden surface over and over again. A single word leaving her lips, barely audible over her whimpering sobs "Baka"

------

The tunnel from the Soul Society to the human world opened without a hitch, and Kisuke had ordered that they needed to move through quickly; as such a power fluctuation would be picked up by the Detection Squads.

Tessai had gone through first, shepherding the eight victims of Sosuke Aizens heinous experiment through to the other side. Kisuke and Yoruichi would follow later. The 12th Division Captain had a million things to think about. They would need to start a new life, keep themselves out of the spotlight unless they wished to attract unwanted attention. Perhaps he would open up a small store.

He had taken several more steps before he noticed that Yoruichi had stopped in her tracks, her lean frame stiffening, her beautiful golden eyes wide open in shock and disbelief. Immediately Kisuke was worried for her, especially when he sensed her spread out her awareness, as if trying to desperately find something.

Gently he reached up and gripped her arm, golden eyes forced to lock onto his dark orbs. To say he was worried was an understatement, anything which could make this majestic and stunning creature look so close to panic was definitely something to take very seriously.

"Yoruichi" he asked, giving her shoulders a soft squeeze. In a heatbeat her eyes focused and she let out a gasp, as if the air had been forcibly removed from her lungs "Naruto"

Now he was worried "What? What about Naruto? Is he alright!?"

A tear flowed down her tanned skin, it was the first time in his whole life he had seen her cry "I can't feel him, he's gone"

It took a moment for the information to sink in, but when it did he felt like the weight of the world had suddenly been slammed onto his shoulders. How could they have been so naïve, so completely stupid? Naruto wouldn't have just stood by and done nothing, he would have started his own bloody investigation, gone searching into dark corners where Aizen would not have wanted him to search. The boy was always too damned curious for his own good.

"I'll kill him"

An explosion of yellow spiritual pressure assaulted his senses, so powerful it nearly shattered the dampening fields he had placed around the underground cave. He had never seen Yoruichi cry, and he had known her for many decades, he had also never seen her so angry, so controlled by her own emotions. She turned, looking like she was about to vanish in a Shunpo.

He moved with all his speed, grabbing her before she could flash step to the outside and using his own significant rietsu to hold her there. They fell, landing in a heap of struggling limbs as he tried desperately to restrain her. It was extremely difficult, her form encompassed by spiritual pressure of the most violent gold, her eyes shining like an angry lioness's.

"That bastard" she shouted "I'll find him and rip his throat out!!!"

"Stop, Yorucihi calm down" he tried to soothe her but it was as if he was trying to stop a tidal wave. She wasn't listening, he needed to be more forceful, grabbing her he flipped her over onto her back, holding her struggling form down with his own weight, forcing her eyes to glare into his "If you go out there you will be attacked by every Shinigami of the Thirteen Court Guard Divisions, it will lead to your own death, then who will be left who knows the truth!!!"

Finally she stopped struggling, her eyes losing their power, only to be replaced by those of a woman who had just lost one of the most important and precious people to her. Eyes mirroring pain, shock, disbelief, despair and guilt looked into his, tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"It my fault" she whispered "If I had…have taken him with…me none of this…would have ever happened"

"No" Kisuke replied "You are not to blame, I was. I should have never experimented on that accursed Hollowfication, I should have just left it in my head" he cupped her face with his hands, making her look at him "This is not your fault"

He put his arms around her, knowing exactly what she needed, for it was right then that she broke down and cried. The great Flash Empress, leader of the Omnitsukido, head of one of the most powerful noble families, cried for a young man whom she considered her brother, she was supposed to protect him, and she failed.

To Kisuke, seeing Yoruichi like this was heartbreaking, she was such a strong woman that the spectacle itself was unbelievable. That was the effect Naruto had on people, his happy go lucky attitude was contagious, just by being near him you wanted to get to know him and become his friend. Picking her hiccupping form up in his arms, he turned to Tessai who was still standing by the gate.

"We'll be right behind you" he said, to which the taller man nodded and moved through.

As he walked towards the gateway, carrying Yoruichi in his arms he turned back one last time and muttered a few words, choked back as a tear of his own fell "I'm sorry, Naruto"

* * *

_**I was actually originally planning for this to be the epilogue for the first Story Arc. But after a while I realised it would be far too long for an epilogue. So I'm breaking it into two parts, the main one here and a last one next chapter to tie up a few more lose ends before I push on to the second Story Arc. So relax, just because the next one says Epilogue does not mean the story's over. I just like to tell my long tails that way :p**_


	19. Epilogue, Arc I: Enter the Soul Society

_**Naruto**_

**_Bleach_**

**_In the End_**

_**Act 1: Enter the Soul Society**_

_**Chapter 19**_

_**Epilogue**_

The sun rose lazily over the horizon, bathing the buildings and battlements of the Seireitei in its warm glow. The rays swarmed across the landscape like a tidal wave, purging the darkness of night.

Flooding through her window, bringing warmth to her pale skin, Soifon stirred in the midmorning rays with a groggy moan, absently rolling onto her side, propping up her head with her slender hands. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she sat up straight, fully awake as her memories of the previous night flooded through her mind.

"_Take me with you" she said, successfully pushing back her grief for a few moments._

_He shook his head "I can't. This will be my decision and my decision alone. I will take the consequences of my actions and I will not drag you, or the Division into this" he reached into his robes and pulled out the small cylindrical covering, giving it to her and closing her fingers around it with his own "If I am not back by first light, take this message to the Sotaicho. You will give it to him, and only him. Do you understand?"_

_That same light still shone in her eyes "Someone else can do it. I am still going with you"_

"_You're not" he replied with a voice of steel "You are going to take that message to him. I will make sure of it even if I have to knock you out here!" his ferocity startled her, but her stubbornness still remained, he smiled, she would make a fine commander "And do one more thing, if I don't come back tell Sakura that I'm…I'm sorry"_

_She felt a sudden pain on her shoulder, and realised that he had hit her nerve points before the darkness took her._

"Naruto" she breathed before wincing from the pain in her shoulder. Gripping her tender flesh she looked over at her bedside table, noticing a small letter, secreted in a small transparent cylinder.

Without thinking she grabbed the cylinder, ripped off the top and took out the letter. Her hands opening the small rolled up piece of paper to reveal the words written within. She studied the runes, eyes darting from side to side as she read.

Then her eyes widened in realisation. Hands suddenly numb she dropped the paper. Leaning back she covered her face with her hands, trying to wipe away the tears which were once again spilling down her eyes. Looking out to the rising sun she was immediately hit with a sudden sense of foreboding.

"_If I am not back by first light, take this message to the Sotaicho. You will give it to him, and only him. Do you understand?"_

Jumping to her feet she rushed out of her room in a panic, running through the corridors of her barracks to Naruto's room. She opened the sliding doors to find an empty room and an already made single bed. She took two steps into the room, spun around and rushed to the only other place she knew he would be at this hour.

She came to his office, standing at the precipice, her fists shaking from her nervousness. Taking a deep breath, forcing herself to relax she reached out with her right hand and opened the door. She found an empty office, the table cleared of all paperwork. Noticing something on the clean desk she walked forward, seeing but not believing the objects set out.

It was the seal of the 2nd Division, and beside that, neatly folded was the armband of the Division Vice-Captain, Naruto's armband. With a shaking hand she reached out and gripped the fabric, ignoring the tears which slid down her face and dripped onto the floor.

"Not you too" she whispered, her legs giving way she fell to her knees, her hands still holding the armband "First Yoruichi…not you too"

------

_To__ Yamamoto__Genryūsai Shigekuni, Sotaicho of the __Goteijūsantai_

_I, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto do hereby relinquish my command as Fukutaicho of the 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division so that I may proceed with my own investigation into the allegations made against Urahara Kisuke, __Tsukabishi Tessai and Shihoin Yoruichi._

_I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept all punishment. The 2__nd__ Imperial Court Guard Division had no knowledge of my actions and is innocent of all wrongdoings on my behalf._

_Yours Sincerely_

_Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto_

Yamamoto frowned as he read the message for the umpteenth time before setting his gaze upon the surviving Captains. Barely a week ago there had been twelve Captains of the Goteijusantai, now that number had dwindled down to five. Seven Captains and five Vice-Captains had been listed as either killed or missing in action.

The five survivors, excluding him, were Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Genrei, Kyōraku Shunsui, Kenpachi Zaraki and Ukitake Jūshirō. All of whom were waiting for his orders.

"The fool" Zaraki muttered "What was he thinking, going in alone"

"Hmm" Shunsui agreed with a nod, tipping his straw hat down to conceal his eyes "It definitely wasn't very smart, but I lost my Lieutenant in that masquerade, so I can understand where he's coming from"

Retsu nodded "Naruto-kun and Yoruichi-san were very close, so investigating the claims is not unexpected"

The Sotaicho took it all in before settling his gaze upon the young woman before him, on her knees with her head bowed "Is there anything else you wish to share with us, Assistant Adjutant Soifon?"

She gulped under his gaze, but nodded "Hai Sotaicho, Naruto-sensei told me to give this message to you if he does not come back by first light. I have a feeling he believed that someone had framed Kisuke Urahara and his compatriots, and he expected that someone to be watching his movements"

The old man nodded, he had felt the ominous rietsu outburst last night, as well as everyone else here. One moment the boy's spiritual pressure was completely normal, almost too normal, like someone had placed a dampening field around it. Then his power exploded, as strong as his own, and then there was nothing, like a candle which had been blown out.

He had a feeling that Naruto had indeed conducted his own investigation, and found evidence contrary to what the Central 46 found. But before he could make it back he was ambushed by the real perpetrators, and after a long drawn out fight had been killed. That led to another question.

Who were these real traitors?

He had sent half his division to the sight to scan the clearing again, only to find the area had been put through yet another monumental engagement. Craters dotted the clearing, some meters deep and tens of meters wide. The surrounding trees had been uprooted, snapped or downright destroyed, the shrapnel and debris strewn across the area.

Naruto had definitely been there, his rietsu signature was present. But the signature of his attackers was not, they had cleaned it down to non-detectable levels, even for someone like himself.

"I see" he said "Thank you Assistant Adjutant, you may leave us"

She nodded her head, before rising, bowing and turning to leave, quickness in her step as she exited through the huge double doors of the meeting hall.

"What shall we do" Ukitake asked.

"We investigate this to the best of our ability" Yamamoto replied "And hope we find who has done this"

------

It had been three days.

The shot glasses were poured and given out to each person; each man and woman took the drink and starred at the sake held within with saddened gazes. Sakura looked out at the assembled friends, old and new who had gathered for this small remembrance toast.

The bar was full of mourners; alongside her were Temari, Shikamaru, Rangiku, Kaien and Miyako Shiba, Ikkaku, Yamichika, Zaraki, Soifon and all of the Patrol Corps, dressed in casual attire and each holding a shot glass in they're hands.

Everybody was silent as she took her glass and raised it up high, her voice reverberating through the small bar which was a favorite for the Shinigami "To Uzumaki Naruto, the greatest friend I've ever known"

"To Naruto" they all said at once, and in unison raised their shot glasses to their lips and downed the Saki in one unanimous gulp. She whipped her mouth and managed a brave smile "Now let's remember him the best way we know how, the owner says every drink is on the house"

As the wake began in earnest Sakura decided to bow out for a moment, she exited the bar and looked up to the sky. It looked like it was going to be another clear day.

Softly, her eyes glistening, she whispered "Sayonara, Naruto"

------

Tired, in pain, he opened his eyes to be greeted with an unfamiliar landscape. All around him was a forest of wide, gray, leafless trunks which rose up as far as the eye could see, small specks of ethereal light could just be discerned from the canopy above. The ground was barren and lifeless, with not even the tiniest hint of vegetation.

He sat up, feeling the pain in his joints but ignoring them, and slowly rose to his feet. He surveyed the barren, lifeless place around him and knew that he was not supposed to be here.

Was he supposed to be here? Searching through his mind, sifting through his memories he came up at a blank, he could not remember how he got here, where he had come from, and after a moment he even realized that he could not remember a thing about himself.

"Where am I?" he whispered to himself as he gazed across the barren landscape "Who am I?"

With no answers and no knowledge he decided to walk through this desolate place, perhaps he would find something that would give him clues about his past, maybe something to help him kick start his memory.

As the blonde walked through the forest, he was unaware that he was being watched by a pair of feline cerulean eyes.

* * *

_**Sorry this chapter was so short folks, but then again Epilogues are supposed to be short in my opinion. Anyhow this concludes the first Story Arc of my Naruto/Bleach crossover. But fear not, for the next Arc is already well underway (In my head at least lol).**_

_**Oh yeah, and before I forget**_

_**Merry Christmas!!!**_


	20. Prologue, Arc II: Hollow World

_**Naruto**_

_**Bleach**_

_**In the End**_

_**Arc 02**_

_**Hollow World**_

_**Prologue**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer; **__Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto and Bleach is the property of Tite Kubo, I make no profit from writing this story._

* * *

The creature stood a storey tall. A stooping bulky form of muscle, skin was an unnatural white with dark purple markings running along the oversized ape like arms, converging around its broad chest in a swirl of colour. Its mask was one of a bull-like creature, two meter long horns, black slits for eyes, rows of dagger like teeth.

If there was one thing he hated more than anything else it was these guys. They thought that just because he was smaller than they were that it meant he was weak. Such a feeble logic had no place in this world. From his few weeks of travelling this barren, twisted landscape he had come to a conclusion.

The bigger they were.

The weaker they were.

He blocked the massive fist with a bare hand, watching his much larger opponent struggle with a bored expression. He was tired, agitated, frustrated. For weeks he had travelled through the forests, which he had learned was called the _Forest of Menos _by its more intelligent inhabitants, and during that entire time he could not remember a thing about who he was or how he got here.

It was infuriating, to not even know ones own name.

But during his time in this hell he had learned a few interesting things. Through observation, followed by action he had learned that he had abilities similar to these creatures. He could condense his power into his hands, feet and mouth, summoning an incredible mass of energy, begging for a release.

Without a thought he opened his mouth, feeling the power rise up from his stomach and throat, coalescing a few feet in front of his maw as a small ball of pure crimson. A ball which slowly expanded until it was double the size. A strange, unnatural sizzling accompanied the energy and when he released it he heard a satisfying thrum as it blasted forward, incinerating the top half of the creature whom was foolish enough to challenge him.

So was he like them?

A monster

He often pondered this, and did so again as he watched the bottom half of his enemy fall to its knees, then onto its stomach, body missing a head or upper torso. He frowned, that was the fifth one today. Feeling a tiny spike of power he turned, seeing a pair of cerulean lights in the undergrowth before they vanished again. This creature had been following him since he awoke. It did not attack him, but stayed at a distance, studying him and feasting off the carcases he left in his wake.

What did that make it?

A scavenger

He didn't mind. The creature hadn't really bothered him, even left him alone when he slept. So he put up with its presence. But he felt its strength. It hid itself well, but he felt an incredible maelstrom of power emanating from this creature, this - Hollow. It was familiar, yet completely alien to his senses. He turned and walked away, leaving the carcass for his silent follower to feast upon.

As he disappeared into the low level mist his stalker appeared, slowly crawling through the underbrush of dead leaves and bushes. It was lithe, skin an unnatural white with cerulean flame markings running along its body. It basic shape was that of a lion-like cat with a snout full of razor sharp teeth, cerulean eyes and two long tails which swished back and forth as it walked.

It prowled up to the dead Hollow, looked down at the half incinerated body and in a quick motion ripped off a mass of meat with its teeth, chewing and swallowing before taking another bite. Not much could be remembered about what she was before. But what little she did know was that she had been a warrior of some description in her past life. She had been a female, which she knew for sure. The details of her demise were unclear to her though.

She could not remember how long she had been here either. Eyes had one day opened to this hellish place. She wandered across the barren landscape, only to be attacked by a monster much larger than she was. Terrified her mind went blank, and when she came too she was feasting off the same animal. Her mouth covered with dark gore.

Days passed, or maybe it was months, or years. She could not remember. But she had killed again and again. Taking the lives of these creatures and eating them to stop her hunger.

The hunger, it was so painful.

Every time she tried to go without food it would slowly get worse, until she would curl up in a ball and mew her pain. She had tried to stop more than once, but the agony, flowing like liquid fire through her veins was impossible to ignore. So she hunted, and slowly she felt herself become numb and cold to the screaming, the pain, and the near deafening roar.

What she was before no longer mattered.

She was a monster.

And to stop the pain she needed to feed.

Then she came across this creature.

A man wearing black robes of some description, head of messy, spiked blonde hair, but what confused her was the mask, worn over his face. It was that of a fox. Crimson streaks across its cheeks like whiskers. Its mouth grinning like a Hollow, showing rows of dagger teeth and two long ears, tipped with red. Yet his eyes were not that of a Hollow. They were a brilliant oceanic blue, which mystified her.

So instead of attacking him she decided to watch him. It was not a new strategy for her. She would usually stalk prey from time to time, sometimes for weeks on end until the opportune moment to make the kill. It was a necessity; some of these creatures were stronger than her. Then he made his first kill, entirely in self defence. She expecting him to feed, but he didn't. Instead he looked her way, motioned to the dead Hollow and moved on.

Ever since then she had followed, watching him with gaining interest as he was attacked by Hollow. How easily he would slay them, and then he would leave the bodies for her. But she would have to face him eventually, for even though she was grateful to him she still had to remember one fact about her past life. She was a warrior, and as a warrior she couldn't just live off another creature's table scraps, no matter how generous.

------

There were three of them this time, three towering demons looking down upon him, eyes glinting with a feral hunger. His own eyes starred unflinchingly back, posture straight and confident, arms folded across his chest as he waited for them to make the first move.

"_**Hahahaha" **_one bellowed, closing its eyes and throwing its head back as it laughed with insane glee _**"You're a defiant one aren't you!"**_

"_**Yeah, look at all the size of you runt" **_another cackled, pointing a long clawed finger at him _**"You probably won't even be worth a snack!"**_

He spoke, his words distorted and inhuman "It seems that those who talk are the ones who lack intelligence around here"

"_**What was that punk?" **_the third asked, its baboon like mask snarling threateningly.

"I don't know how long I've been here, but I know from experience that the larger the opponent the weaker the opponent" he opened his eyes, the sapphire orbs seemed to convulse, changing colour from blue to a deep, violent crimson "You guys wont even make decent target practise!"

One roared angrily, before its long clawed hand shot out towards the blonde. The small amnesia stricken Shinigami stood perfectly still, watching the approaching appendage with a bored expression. He opened his mouth, as if to yawn, but as the claw came closer a small ball of crimson energy formed, growing larger and larger with every passing second. When he released his breath it fired, encompassing the claw up to the shoulder, ripping it down to its base molecules.

The Hollow blinked once, twice, then reeled back and screamed an unholy cry of pain and terror. Looking upon the stump where his arm used to be, purple blood streaming from the wound. There was a feint boom and the human like creature was in front of his mask, hand shooting out with extreme prejudice and smashing through the white mask with a loud crack. The Hollows breaths came quick and haggard before the hand made a ninety degree clockwise spin, shattering the mask in one quick movement.

The two others watched with open shock as their comrade fell, eyes wide in disbelief that such a tiny creature had defeated one of them so easily. The black robed figure turned, pointed at another with its middle and index fingers, another ball of crimson forming on his fingertips. It fired, washing over the Hollow's upper body, disintegrating it with little to no effort.

The last one looked at the second body, now missing anything above the abdomen and spun around, fleeing from the scene on all fours. He watched it go, eyes narrowing in revulsion. That one wasn't even worth killing. In this world he would be lucky to last another minute.

As if to emphasize his thought a shadow fell from the tree tops, landing on top of the fleeing Hollow with extended claws and an open maw. It was smaller than its prey, maybe a head taller than he was. But the way it landed was graceful with no wasted effort, sinking its fangs into its back, and then clawed desperately to get a hold when the larger bear-like Hollow began to buck and jump. With a growl of annoyance it pounced again, clawing onto the larger ones side and taking a massive chunk of muscle from its left shoulder with its teeth.

The Hollow squeaked before falling, skidding across the forest floor and coming to a halt, whimpering pathetically. The silhouette of the much smaller predator appeared, circling the fallen one once before pouncing for the kill, claws clasping its head and right shoulder, jaw biting down on its neck. He heard the crunching of bone and skin, following by a hastily cut off cry.

In earnest it began to feed, its claws holding the carcase steady as it bit off huge chunks of armoured skin and flesh with its powerful teeth. He guessed by the way she cut through its armoured hide as if it were warm butter that this feline like Hollows jaws had a closing power of several dozen tonnes.

It was definitely the one who had been following him these last few months. He recognised its signature, once hidden now out in full force. It seemed she had stopped hiding, which meant it had finished playing docile.

It looked up as if noticing him for the first time, jaws covered with dripping purple life fluid. The feline studied him for a moment, and then with great elegance for its size it jumped over the half eaten corpse, slowly and precisely closing in on him. He followed her deliberately slow movements with a simple movement of his head, guessing this was a female, yes definitely a female.

The two tailed cat circled him once, twice, three times. Its cerulean eyes not leaving his orbs. It mewed, sounding more like a domestic house cat than a huge lioness, and pounced in one fluid motion. Paws outstretched and mouth open, ready to take a bite.

------

_**Short I know, but that's how Prologues are lol.**_

_**Hey folks, I'm back, but updates will probably be a little slow this time considering I have been posting another two stories recently. Ah well. Hope you guys all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.**_

_**I read the new chapters of Naruto and Bleach last night, and I found myself a little lacking. I mean, after waiting for a full two weeks you kind of expected more than 17 or 18 pages. I know these authors are probably fifty chapters ahead of the publishers and they probably don't take holidays into account, but it was still a little disappointing after waiting for so long.**_


	21. The Fox & the Cat

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Fox & the Cat**_

His movements weren't fast, they weren't graceful. To anyone watching they looked crude and without fluidity. But they were effective, and in a fight that was what mattered. Speed and precision was all well and good in a fight, but in a life or death situation like this the most effective manoeuvre was usually the best.

The amnesia stricken Shinigami sidestepped the lunge, digging his sandaled feet into the ground and caught the lithe form of the two tailed feline. For a moment he seemed to wilt under the creature's weight, and then with a roar of exertion he lifted her up and tossed the lioness across the clearing.

The creature recovered quickly, performing a spin in midair, landing on the ground, claws digging into the deadened dirt as she skidded to a halt. It studied him with an intelligence far superior than any other creature he had met in this hell before lowering her body with a predatory grace, prowling around him.

In response he did the same, body stooped, legs bent, ready to move at a moments notice. He mirrored her moves, his mask unreadable, yet the glowing crimson orbs, partially hidden by the slits made his intent clear. The amnesiac was going to defend him self, with deadly force if he had too.

Then in a blur of motion his enemy moved, taking off at a near frightening pace, paws smacking the ground with enough force to kick up small clouds of dust and dirt. She pounced. Claws outstretched, jaws opened for the kill only for the blonde to dodge yet again, diving to the side in a sloppy roll before using the momentum to find his feet, hands digging into the earth to stop his skid.

The demon cat hit the ground, her claws digging into the ground to stop her own slide. She slid one hundred and eighty degrees before coming to a stop, once again starring at him with those unnatural cerulean orbs. A growl escaped her and opening its mouth began gathering spiritual energy, a ball of cerulean forming and swirling a few feet from her open maw.

A Cero

Quickly he reached out with his middle and index fingers, his own Cero forming an inch from his fingertips. They fired at the same time and watched as the balls missed each other by millimetres, yet such close proximity obviously had a bad effect on their trajectory. The two Cero blasts swerved in opposite directions, each impacting at opposite sides of the forest with a bright flash of cerulean and crimson.

He blurred from view, appearing above her, crimson energy coating his hands. The cat demon looked up in curiosity before she started to take evasive action. With a throaty growl he reeled back his right arm and brought it forward, palm open and forming a claw. A condensed ball of crimson shot out, impacting the ground where his adversary stood.

His Bala missed his mark as the two tails darted out of the line of fire. With a growl he fired another Bala, and then another, until the small balls of crimson spiritual pressure fell like rain. The feline was forced to keep on the move, its lithe form darting back and forth as it deftly evaded every strike, every blow, every Bala aimed for her.

Within moments the clearing was covered with potholes and small craters, each billowing smoke and steam. He came down in a crouch, hand on the ground to hold him steady, before he stood and watched as his enemy came out of the shadows of the forest, her nimble form sporting a few burn marks from near misses but otherwise unharmed.

"Out of all the Hollow I have fought in this hell you are by far the strongest" he said, his voice respectful and praising to this creature. She had just lasted longer than any other opponent he had faced.

The feline tilted its head to the side _**"Thank you, you're not so bad yourself"**_

Definitely a female, the voice had the feminine tone, even if it was distorted "I take it you were the one who was following me?"

The creature seemed to think about it, then nodded _**"Originally I was planning on ambushing you when you let your guard down. But you never did, and when you started leaving your kills for me I just decided to stick around"**_

"So why do you want to eat me now" he asked with genuine curiosity, before pointing to the half eaten Hollow at the edge of the clearing "I mean I'm much scrawnier than that carcase over there"

To his surprise the feline threw its head back and laughed, it held no mirth, only a lifetimes worth of bitterness and pain _**"It's simple. To prove that I exist"**_

_A red haired boy, his form half encompassed by a nightmarish visage of sand, taking the form of a monstrous demon "I will kill you. I will not cease to exist!!!"_

"Why?" he asked, shaking the memory from his head.

"_**Because that's how it works here" **_she replied, head tilted _**"We fight and kill so that we may continue to evolve, to continue to have a purpose. If we stop the pain from the hunger becomes so excruciating that we can't even move. If we don't then we revert back to mindless beasts. I refuse to become one of them again!"**_

There was a sudden muffled boom, and the cat vanished from his senses in a blur. Quickly the amnesia suffering Shinigami uttered a colourful curse before raising his hands out of instinct. The demon appeared in front of him, rushing towards him, maw open showing rows of dagger teeth and lengthened canines.

He shot up his right hand to grab the snout of the top jaw, and followed by his left hand reaching down to stop the lower jawbone. The power behind the dash was too much and he found himself flying backwards, feet scratching off the ground kicking up a cacophony of dirt and dust.

With a grunt of pain the Shinigami was slammed against a tree, the dead crystalline bark snapping like a twig to the combination of their weight and spiritual pressures. He was continuously forced back, feet skidding off the ground, never losing purchase. Then both slammed into a wall of rock. A crater formed at his back as he was unceremoniously slammed into the barrier, spider web cracks forming along the smooth surface.

The cat Hollow dug its heels in, growling from its effort and in annoyance, jaws still trying desperately to clamp shut and end his life. Still his hands remained in place, trembling from the exertions. He needed to do something if he was to survive the next few minutes, and to hell with the consequences.

With a crack he forced his masks mouth open, a ball of condensed crimson forming on the tip of his tongue. The cat saw this, tried to jump out of his attacks reach. But it was too late and with a roar he released his Cero upon the world. The feline was fast, and the doom blast struck only a glancing blow along her right flank, but with such a high level attack the damage was enough to rip through armoured skin and flay organs.

The cat gave off a mewling scream before it hit the ground, rolling to a halt in a heap, steam rising from its charred right side. The once unnatural white armoured skin flayed black. Forcefully it tried to get to its feet, but collapsed when it tried to put weight on its charred right legs.

Her opponent fell to his knees, hands trembling from the phantom pain of holding back so many tons of crushing power, breath leaving him in gasps. He took a dry gulp, and forced air into his lungs before forcing himself to his feet, swaying back and forth before slamming his heels into the ground, steadying himself.

He approached, concentrating his rietsu into his right hand, a small blade of condensed crimson spiritual pressure encompassing the limb. The cat was unable to move, unable to defend from his next strike. It would all be over in the next few seconds.

"_**No" **_the creature growled weakly, forcing itself to its feet, limping to face him only to collapse again when she tried to balance herself on her burned limbs, its own breathing leaving it in quick gasps, chest rising and falling frantically. He stood towering over her, hand drew back to deliver the disembowelling stroke. Yet he stopped, a mass of memories assaulting his senses.

_A man, at least twice his height, dark skin, sunglasses over dark brown eyes, seven swords sheathed upon different placed on his back. They had sat together, the fire between them cackling. Talking about everything and nothing, they're lives as Human sacrifices, the people they met, the friends they made and the battles they had seen._

_Then a question had left his lips, casually so "Did you know any of the others?"_

_The huge man looked at him for a moment "What ya mean kid?"_

"_You know" Naruto replied "Anyone else like us, a Jinchuriki?"_

_What he saw would stick with him until the end of time, the huge man's smile turned sad, like he was remembering a painful memory "Yeah, I knew one"_

_Of course the younger was oblivious to the elder's feelings at that moment, leaning forward, silently urging him to continue. Without warning the elder looked up to the sky, a sad smile on his face as he spoke, his tone full of regret "Her name was Yugito Nii. She was Jinchuriki to the Two Tailed Monster Cat, and she was my friend"_

_He saw his error then, and his face fell "I'm sorry, if this is too painful-"_

"_No, no" the man replied, waving his hands in dismissal "Nothing like that, just a few regrets is all. Now where was I? Oh right. She hadn't had a good life, none of us seem to, but she was strong willed, fiercely loyal to her comrades and played a beautiful melody with her Shamisen"_

_Naruto listened intently, it was so rare he learned about his fellow Jinchuriki, those who had fallen for the simple reason that they had been chosen to become the host to a monster "At the age of two she was implanted with the Two Tailed Monster Cat and put through detestable, cruel training to try and control her beast. I remember I first met her when she was eight, she had been crying because of her lack of progress. I don't know what came over me but I started spurting some rap phrases, I was so terrible that I cheered her up" he seemed to smile at the memory "Ever since then she jumped into her training with a new determination, happy she found a friend and confidant in me, a fellow Jinchuriki. She worked hard, and even my brother noticed, for he elevated her to Jonin for her efforts. She was so happy when she got the flak vest"_

_He chuckled, and then his face darkened "She was twenty nine when she died. Caught by Akatsuki while I was training in the Cloud Mountains, I didn't find out until later. She was sent on a mission with her team, which turned out to be a trap. The two men, Hidan and Kakuzu if I remember, attacked without mercy or remorse. She led them into the sewers to protect her team, fought bravely but was defeated"_

_He clenched his fists "They humiliated her, Naruto. They crucified her by stabbing a kunai through her hands and leaving her hanging from a wall. When I found out my first instinct was to hunt the bastards down and rip them apart"_

_Naruto leaned back, turning the names backwards and forwards through his brain "Hidan and Kakuzu huh? Well you don't have to worry about them anymore. We got them"_

"_You did"_

"_Yeah" he replied, his own eyes glazing over from his own set of painful memories "They killed the head of the Sarutobi clan. He was expecting a baby, going to get married. The whole world ahead of him only to be cut short by that bastard Hidan" he looked up at Kirabi "I killed Kakuzu. Ran him through with the Rasenshuriken, while a friend of mine, Shikamaru, blew Hidan to bloody pieces"_

"_Man, what a bummer" Kirabi muttered "I wanted to kill those bastards, only to find you've done it for me"_

"_This Yugito sounded like quite a beauty" at his fellow Jinchuriki's look he reiterated "By the way you talk about her and all"_

_He smiled again, a sad smile for a departed friend "Kid, she would give any woman a run for their money"_

Naruto

His name was Naruto

He frowned, the rietsu blade flickering out of existence like an extinguished flame. The small surge of memories had been a surprise, and the suddenness of them was enough to make him stumble, head spinning as if he were drunk. A hand shot up, absently holding onto his forehead as if it were about to fall off.

The nausea left him and, with a huge gulp of air he opened his eyes to find himself once again in the living nightmare which was the forest of Menos. That same Hollowfied Cat lying exactly where she fell, right flank still badly burned, although he saw the charred flesh recede.

His frown didn't leave his masked face. How did he not notice how familiar this Hollows presence was? He reached out with his right hand, resting his palm against her unburned side, confident this creature was not in any condition to fight back. He closed his eyes and concentrated, allowing his power to seep through his body and make contact with hers.

Usually when his spiritual pressure made contact with another creature's it was like a collision of two extremely flammable materials, the end result usually being a mass explosion of some description with a very messy aftermath.

When his rietsu made contact with this one there was a bright white flash, followed by his spiritual pressure rising from his body. In his mind he could see two incoherent masses of energy, one crimson and the other cerulean, both swirling around each other like the outline of a great tornado. There was a familiarity to the way they circled, as if they shared a connection. Then he removed his hand. The connection vanishing as quickly as it came.

He stood up, surveying the unconscious Hollow. Her wounds were healing at a rapid pace, in fact most of the burnt skin and once useless limbs had already been replaced by white skin with swirling azure markings. Already the Hollow was emitting a low, pained groan in her sleep.

"Your pretty strong" he whispered "By far the strongest I have faced in this thrice damned forest. Live, get stronger and face me again"

Rising from his place Naruto turned, giving his fallen opponent one last glance before vanishing with a low level boom. When the Hollow awoke she found that her wounds were healed, and the mysterious stranger was long gone.

------

The Hollow let out a piercing scream before a diagonal line ran across its shoulder, ending halfway through its stomach. There was a long spurt of black blood before it fell on its side, twitching and convulsing for a moment before finally becoming still. Its killer appeared in a blur behind the dead monster, robes flickering in the wind, a blade of crimson spiritual pressure encompassing his right hand.

With a deep, cleansing breath he righted himself, before feeling the tiniest surge of rietsu within the shadows of the forest, somewhere to his north. The spiritual pressure was familiar and with a frown of concentration he recognised it as belonging to that cat Hollow he had fought with a week ago. He had expected that he would see her again, but it was a little soon.

Sighing he found a seating position by a fallen, half rotted away log, eyes starring at the clearing, waiting. He did not have to wait long. With a blur his stalker came into view, and he knew right away that it was the same feline he had fought a week before. Naruto noticed that her wounds had mostly healed, although she still had a limp in her right leg and foreleg.

"Hungry?"

Those glowing yellow orbs narrowed _**"How can I be sure you won't strike when my back is turned?"**_

Naruto shrugged "If I wanted to kill you then I had the perfect chance a week ago"

She was unsure; confused that someone whom she had tried to kill a week ago would go through all this just to meet with her again _**"Why are you offering this to me?"**_

"You helped me" he replied, at her raised eyelash he continued "I remember nothing of what I was before I came here. Not my name, who I am or where I was from. When I fought you…your rietsu seemed familiar, and when I touched you I received a surge of memories from my past life!"

"_**So this is thanks"**_

"Yea" was the blondes reply.

She hesitated for just a moment before slowly prowling up to the corpse. One last look was sparred before her head darted in, ripping off a chunk of flesh. Silence persevered for a handful of minutes, she digging into the corpse and he sitting on a log, his eyes on the forest line.

"Do you have a name Nee-san?"

She stopped chewing and looked up at him, oceanic orbs seemingly starring through her soul, seeing the bitterness and resentment she held for the outside world. She was about to answer with a bitter retort, but stopped. There was something in his eyes, something which shouted that he understood her hatred, her resentment of the world.

"_**I don't know my name" **_she whispered, taking another bite of flesh and wolfing it down _**"I remember nothing, not who I was or what I was. We are the same in that regard"**_

"I see" the blonde replied, but his eyes did not leave hers, and after a moment he spoke again "Does the name…Yugito…ring a bell?"

She stopped in mid-chew, looking up at him with something rivalling confusion in her eyes. The feline was about to deny his question. She didn't have a name, she didn't deserve a name. She was pathetic, dirty. Guilty of atrocities made in the name of survival. Then a mass of memories flooded her mind.

"_Hey kid" looking up she saw a young man, just out of his teens, form muscular, his skin a dark brown, his hair white with a slight yellowy tint "You alright?"_

_Quickly she dried her tears, cursing herself for showing weakness. To show weakness was unacceptable for a weapon. Taking a deep breath she began reciting the mantra she had told to her every day when she awoke._

_What am I?_

_A weapon_

_Why do I exist?_

_To kill the enemy_

_Who do I serve?_

_The Raikage and Kumogakure no Sato_

_Suddenly she was bonked on the head "Oi kid, I asked you a question? Are you alright?" bewildered she looked up at the towering teenager, who frowned._

_Was it a trap "H-hai"_

_He reached out with a huge hand, and she flinched, expecting to be struck. Instead he ruffled her hair, which surprised her "Good to hear, you wouldn't be the Nibi Jinchuriki would you?"_

_At her hesitant nod he grinned brightly "Yo yo yo I finally found you. My brother sent me to get you out, 'cause when he found out he thought they were having a lark"_

_She blinked; completely bewildered, so she responded the only way she could "Huh?"_

"_Huh" the towering teen repeated teasingly "What do you mean huh, aven't you ever 'eard of rap before?"_

_Dumbly she shook her head, to which he looked insulted "Huh? How come you don't know about it? It's all the rage"_

"_Um…I've never…b-been outside the t-training centre" she spoke timidly, every now and then looking around to make sure this wasn't some bad prank the guards had planned. They had done it a few times in the past._

"_Wha, seriously?" he looked around, noticing as if for the first time the small sleeping mat at the other side of the darkened room. Other than that there was nothing, no furniture or decoration on the walls, just hard concrete "That just ain't right!"_

_Unceremoniously he scouped her up, ignoring her squeak of surprise, and marched out of the drab prison cell which had been her home since her mother died, and what was worse was that she let him. This seemed too good to be true. One of the first things she had been taught was that dreams didn't exist for a weapon; there was no knight in shining armour coming to rescue her._

"_Bro is going to hear about this, and these morons will get a taste of his fist" the teen growled before looking down at her, too surprised and confused to even mount a proper retort "Oh right, there's a new Raikage, and he's ordered this whole setup shut down"_

_A new Raikage? _

_Come to think of it she hadn't been collected for her training sessions for a couple of days, it was almost like they had forgotten about her "Yo, you got a name?" she looked up at her towering saviour, who grinned "I'll start, names Kirabi, Kirabi Yotsuka. I'm the Raikage's little brother yo, and a Jinchuriki like you"_

_She hesitated, before answering him in a timid voice "Y-Yugito…Yugito Nii"_

"_**Yu-gi-to"**_ she whispered the name slowly, before turning to Naruto. She whispered the name once, twice, three times before it actually hit her. Her name, she remembered her name.

It was her, _her _name.

Naruto raised his hand, ghosting his fingers across his mask, the porcelain seeming to shred and vanish in a flurry of particles, revealing a handsome face of tanned skin, whisker like markings on his cheeks and brilliant oceanic orbs. The blonde looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"_**My name is Yugito?"**_

He nodded "It's a pleasure to meet you Yugito Nii. My name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki and I am – was, a Jinchuriki, just like you"

"_**Naruto"**_ she repeated the name before bowing to him, a small smile gracing her feline lips _**"Thank you"**_

"Your welcome, Yugito-san"

She left the Hollow carcase, walked up to him and flopped onto her side. Her eyes scanning him _**"So why have you called me here. I am grateful but I think there's more to this than helping me with my memories"**_

The blonde chuckled "You're right about that. Actually I have a proposition for you"

She raised her eyebrows slightly _**"What kind of proposition?"**_

"An alliance" he replied "It's simple. I help you hunt when you get hungry and you guard me while I sleep. We travel together and we protect each other when we need it"

She nodded "_**A good plan under normal circumstances, but it has one small flaw"**_ at his questioning glance she continued _**"Trust, we hardly know each other, and just a week ago we were at each others throats, plus I am an Adjuchas Hollow. Could you really trust me to watch over you while you slept?"**_

Naruto sighed, a small smile playing across his face "I fought you, and when you fight a person you learn more about them in a minute than you would have in a year. You know what I have learned about you, Yugito Nii?" at her glance he reiterated "I have learned that you are patient, a capable warrior. Yet I also saw an honourable soul. You could have struck me when my guard was down; instead you showed yourself to me and faced me head on"

"_**Or I could have been cocky"**_ she pointed out.

"I doubt it's in your nature to be cocky" Naruto replied with a slight chuckle "If you were cocky then you would have attacked me beforehand instead of spending a couple of weeks studying me"

"_**Very intuitive"**_ Yugito said, gaining new respect for this man.

"So is that an agreement"

In response the cat bowed her head; eyes closed _**"I accept your offer, Uzumaki Naruto"**_

His lips formed into a toothy grin "That seemed a little easier than I thought"

------

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck was not considered a spiteful or selfish Arrancar. She was unique in that she was quite the opposite of what many would perceive, considering her heritage as a Hollow, a supposed soulless monster who hunted the souls of the living. In truth she had not preyed on humans for centuries, disgusted with herself when she had finally evolved to the level of Adjuchas.

It was true that newly born Hollows were nothing more than mindless killers. The same could be said for a majority of Gillian-class Menos Grande. But once a Hollow evolved to the mid level of the Menos, the Adjuchas, they regained shards of their humanity with their mounting intelligence. These shards took the form of one of the ten aspects of death.

All Hollows embodied the ten aspects of death in one form or another, whether it be rage, loneliness, old age, nihilism, despair, destruction, intoxication, greed, madness or sacrifice. Of these ten aspects it was sacrifice which was considered the rarest, and those who possessed it usually gained great power. Those who embodied sacrifice gained more humanity than any of the others. They gained a conscience, a need to protect those precious to them and a need, a desire to sacrifice themselves for their beliefs. Whether that belief is an ideal, a calling or a person was entirely up to the individual.

It was strange that this aspect seemed to manifest itself more in females than males. She was a being of sacrifice. Her greatest student and soon to be successor, Tia Harribel, was a being of sacrifice. Her newest Fracción, Rafaela, was an Arrancar of sacrifice. Perhaps it was because a female could be more protective of what they consider precious than a male, she wasn't really sure.

If Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck embodied the aspect of sacrifice, the need to protect, then her partner was the complete opposite. Nnoitra Jiruga, the Octa Espada and the embodiment of despair, was a man who relished in the suffering of others. The Arrancar lusted for bloodshed and carnage, forever hungering for battle and worthy opponents to fight, and kill. He was arrogant, chauvinistic and insulting to all around him, and while fighting he did not care whether he fought fairly or used dishonourable means, just as long as he achieved his victory.

For years the two had been forced to work together, and since they first met the two could not stand each other. Nnoitra could not stand the Tres Espada because she held a rank higher than him. He could not stand the fact that a woman could outrank him, and a supposedly soft one at that, and so challenged to fight her constantly. In contrast Nelliel considered her partner to be an animal, a sick, sadistic killer. She could not understand why an Arrancar, who had regained their humanity and intelligence, could thirst for such bloodlust and death like he did.

But despite their dislike of each other there was one thing they could not deny, together they were an almost unbeatable team. They worked well together, Nnoitra with his warrior instincts, and Nelliel with her intelligence and ability to keep the Octa under control.

That was why they were a team.

They knelt before a high backed throne, eyes lowered and heads bowed in respect before their leader and creator. It was Nelliel who spoke; she always spoke "You called for us, Aizen-sama?"

Sitting regally on his throne, his head held up lazily by a hand, Sosuke Aizen smiled upon two of his most powerful creations and answered "Nelliel, Nnoitra, thank you for coming. I have a mission that only the two of you can handle"

"We await your word, Aizen-sama" she replied.

"I want you two to travel deep into the bowels of the Forest of Menos. I have recently felt a surge of powerful spiritual energy, and I want its owner"

"Hai, Aizen-sama" both Nelliel and Nnoitra whispered in unison.

"And a word of warning for you both" their lord added "It is highly possible that the one I seek is a Biju, and he might not be alone"

A lunatic grin stretched the Octa Espada's serpentine features "Great, I've waited a long time to fight one of those tailed bastards"

"Ah, then you will not be disappointed, Nnoitra" Aizen replied, his own head slightly bowed, eyes closed and a small smile tugging his lips "For the one whom you will be fighting will be the strongest of them. It is highly probable you will be fighting the Nine Tailed Demon Fox"

"Heh, even better" Nelliel could feel his spiritual pressure coming off of him in waves, screaming its unbridled joy to the world. It made her cringe inwardly at being near such wanton destruction.

"You leave immediately" the architect of Las Noches said "Dismissed"

They both vanished in a blur of motion, a muffled duet of booms signalling their departure.

------

Yugito creaked open her eyes, twin orbs of glowing yellow in the dark, dank cave where she had chosen to rest. Groggily she raised her head, and opened her mouth to yawn, lips retracting to show her sharp teeth and dagger canines. Her head darted left, and then right. Making sure that there was nothing hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike at her, she had been in such a situation more than once.

Then she felt a weight against her side, and a groan of contentment. Her head darted to the noise, ready to strike, only to find the smaller form of her partner, upper body nestled against her flank, using her as a makeshift pillow to rest his masked head. Naruto had taken to doing this a lot, as time went by and they became less distrusting of each other.

It had been six months since they had first met. They had hunted together and protected each other from the horrors of this dead and nightmarish world. But as time went by, and they got to know each other, the alliance of necessity had slowly changed. In the six months they had travelled and fought together they had become friends.

Or were they friends? The problem was that both Yugito and Naruto did not talk about themselves or their past, because they could not remember enough about their past to talk about. They basically knew nothing about each other. Most of their time was spent in a content and comfortable silence, travelling together, fighting together, and eating together – although while she could eat the Hollow meat raw Naruto had to cook his.

Yugito found that she enjoyed the company. She found life in this hellhole a hell of a lot easier with someone to talk too, someone who helped her hunt, who talked to her and laughed with her. When she was alone she was moody. When she was alone the pains of hunger came all the more quickly and when she was alone the world just seemed bleaker than it usually was.

But since she started travelling with Naruto things changed. There was just something about him. Perhaps it was the joy and relief in finding a shard of her own world, her old life. In finding a fellow host just like she was. Maybe it was just the simplicity of having company. But one thing she was sure. His presence soothed her. Their rietsu was so similar that it was almost uncanny, and this similarity had led her to feeling a kinship with him.

Before she met him Yugito had been plagued by nightmares when she slept. Nightmares of figures, dressed in high collared black cloaks with red clouds etched into the fabric, all standing on the stone fingers of some horrid statue which seemed to be openly laughing at her, whispering an incantation in a language she did not know or understand.

She used to awaken from these nightmares soaked in sweat, screaming.

But then she had met him. She did not notice it at first, but after two weeks of travelling with him her exhaustion had finally caught up to her, and she had fallen asleep while he stood watch. It was the most blissful sleep Yugito could remember, and when she awoke she felt rejuvenated. It wasn't for another month that she realised that the only reason the nightmares stopped was because of him.

She was pulled from her reverie by a groan and then a voice, slightly groggy "Yugito-chan, you up?"

"Yea, I'm up" she replied, slowly nudging him off her so she could stand and extend her aching muscles. Stretching her forearms and arching her back until she heard a welcome crack.

"Hungry?"

"Yes" she replied, before turning to him "But don't get up. I'll go out myself and hunt for something. You just rest here"

He fixed her with groggy version of a glare, then a teasing grin "You sure you don't need my help?"

She scowled, then huffed "I need to go out on my own and hunt every now and then, can't have my reflexes getting rusty because I have you around"

The blonde shrugged, before standing and walking over to the cave wall, leaning against it as he sat back down and tried to get comfortable "Right, just give me a shout if you need me"

"Will do" she replied before bending her knees and taking off to the entrance at a dash.

When she exited the cave to be greeted with the same landscape of the forest she decided that some exercise was in order to stretch her legs. Bending her form low again she used the momentum to take off at a dead run. The former Jonin relished in the feel of the wind on her face, her claws retracting to dig into the scorched earth as she darted through the forest, using feline speed and stamina to dodge the crystalline trees.

Yes, Yugito was indebted to Naruto, but she was a cat and needed a chance to roam around on her own every now and then. Cats were strange like that, they were sociable animals, hunted in packs, yet every now and then they just wanted to be alone, to contemplate, to hunt and to think.

The former Kumo-nin ran dozens of kilometres in the space of a few minutes before finally coming to a halt. She thought she had sensed some possible prey around here, but found nothing.

A sense of foreboding suddenly filled her as she noticed the bodies for the first time. Hollows, dozens of them lay on the ground, severed and ripped to pieces, before being pilled up and left in the clearing. She saw common Hollows; a few Gillian's and even an Adjuchas among the cacophony of corpses. Whatever had done this had been powerful, extremely so.

"Hey little kitty" a snide voice called from behind her "How long are ya going to stare?"

Yugito turned to see the owner of the voice. A tall, lanky creature, serpentine face set in a huge smile showing his upper row of teeth. Black hair hung past his shoulders, partially concealing the left side of his face, but she could still just make out a white eye patch. He wore a white, high collared jacket which parted to show his chest, and pants, with knee high black boots, the ends curved upward. In his hand was a long pole, which ended in a wicked, crescent moon shaped blade. The spiritual pressure she sensed from this being was immense, easily a match for her own.

"Well" he called mockingly, gripping his weapon with both hands "You seem like more than just a little house kitten, don't die on me too quick!"

* * *

_**And so the end of another chapter, at the moment I am really trying to lengthen my chapters, so unless they are a prologue or epilogue they won't be a couple of pages anymore. The problem is I am not good at lengthening, for after twelve pages or so a little voice appears in my head to tell me to stop. It's an annoying little bastard.**_


	22. Las Noches

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Las Noches**_

"_Well" he called mockingly, gripping his weapon with both hands "You seem like more than just a little house kitten, don't die on me too quick!"_

He was right in front of her, his sneering face barely a couple of inches from her own. On instinct she ducked the decapitating blow of his weapon, feeling the blades slice off tiny miniscule hairs from her cerulean mane. Looking up, seeing the opening left from the swing Yugito went for it. She rose to two feet, two huge claws digging into his arm and chest. A powerful set of jaws chomped down on his shoulder blade, crushing the bone and spilling blood.

There was a small problem. Her claws barely nicked the skin, and her jaws, capable of ripping flesh and armour, barely left a set of teeth marks. This creature's Hierro was in a whole other league from any other armoured skin she had seen in the past. What was worse was that, now that she gained a closer look, it seemed as thin and delicate as Naruto's.

Her blood froze when she saw his tenacious grin, and the way he was positioning his crescent moon shaped scythe. She jumped away, a cero forming between her teeth. She felt pain as he swung his scythe, the blade cutting a shallow gash along her chest, causing her own blood to squirt. The strange Hollow opened his mouth just as he finished the swing, a cero of his own forming on the tip of his tongue.

She fired.

He fired.

The two doom blasts met in the middle, colliding, melding and exploding in a mass of cerulean and orange energy that sent shockwaves throughout the forest of Menos. The shockwave threw her back, but Yugito was able to right herself in midair, landing on the ground and skidding to a halt.

The former Jinchuriki couldn't see the condition of her foe, the mass of dust and smoke kicked up from the point blank blasts made that nearly impossible, even for her own hyper-sensitive eyes. The laughter dampened her spirits. It was maniacal, gleeful, and bloodthirsty all in one.

"Not bad little kitty, not bad at all!" the Arrancar screamed in pure glee "Just because of that I will tell you my name, so you will know who killed you" the dust and smoke cleared, showing the darkened silhouette of her enemy, a single glowing crimson orb the only other colour "Octava Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga!!!"

He vanished in a blur, reappearing beside her, blade already swinging to slice her in two. Jumping away from the strike, Yugito dodged to the right before lashing out with her right paw, claws exposed and ready to slice into her opponent. To her surprise Nnoitra did not try to deflect, or even dodge her attack. Instead he took it head on, the paw latched onto his shoulder blade, claws biting into his flesh.

The Arrancar grimaced in pain, before another shit eating grin spread across his face "Got you"

She watched as he raised and swung his blade, aiming to disembowel her with an unnaturally powerful swing. The demon cat vanished in a Sonido, much to Nnoitra's surprise and annoyance "So we're giving out names" she asked, her head just an inch from his ear "Then I'll introduce myself before I kill you; I am the Nibi no Bakeneko, Yugito Nii"

Her two tails curled up and lashed forward with blurring speed, like those of a scorpion delivering a deadly sting. The Octava watched in muted fascination as they doubled, tripled, then quadrupled in length. He vanished via Sonido before they could pierce him, and saw them dig inches into the charred dirt. He looked up, and cursed as he saw her charging up another cero. Nnoitra saw that he was to close to be able to dodge, and it was to late for him to counter with his own doom blast.

Yugito fired.

Nnoitra closed his eyes and smiled, finally someone who could kill him.

The inevitable blow never came, and the Espada opened his eyes to be met with a body in front of him, form darkened by the incredible light given off by the cerulean cero, which had expanded like it was a water balloon slamming into a brick wall. Nel stood between them, a single elegant hand stretched out, eyes calm and emotionless. She opened her mouth and took in a deep breath.

Yugito watched in both awe and fear as her cero was swallowed whole by this strange woman, the last wisps of cerulean entering her mouth before she closed it, cheeks puffed out and eyes closed. She opened her eyes, orbs radiating determination. The Nibi Jinchuriki felt a sudden spike of spiritual pressure and moved to get out of the way.

Too late as Nelliel opened her mouth in a scream which was muffled by the cero escaping her lips, her own doom blast added to the attack to double its range and killing efficiency. The cero unleashed was not cerulean, nor the light green of Nel's own attacks, but rather a brilliant turquoise which shinned, illuminating the darkness of the forest of Menos.

Yugito was caught in the flames of the aftershock, and screamed in agony as she was carried through the forest as if caught in a tidal wave and carried by its current. She slammed into a tree, the pressure of the aftershock and the unforgiving crystalline pillar shattering bones and charring skin.

The flames abated, and in the blink of an eye the woman stood before her, green hair flying in the wind, almond eyes starring down upon her. Yugito tried to rise, but found the action impossible. In a flash the woman drew her sword, and levelled the tip of the blade at her throat.

"Surrender" she said quietly "Aizen-sama wishes you alive"

"Tch" the woman's head turned slightly to the side, watching as her partner came up beside her. His long crescent moon scythe leaning against his right shoulder, a sneer of contempt on his face "She's too weak to become an Arrancar. I say we kill her now!"

"Oh" the woman replied "Really? I could have sworn she had you with that cero"

"Shut up" her snarled back "She just caught me of guard!"

"Indeed" she replied, whether she believed it or not Yugito couldn't say. Her tone with him was emotionless and monotone.

"Alright then" he growled as he stepped in front of the woman, towering over her, face split in a grin and crescent war scythe held over his head in preparation for a downward stroke "Goodbye little kitty!"

He brought his weapon down, and Yugito closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable killing stroke, which never came. She waited for several heartbeats, before weakly opening her eyes and gazing above. A silhouette stood between her and the man, a single hand reaching up, gripping the blade of the crescent scythe.

A voice cut through her fuddled mind "Stay away from her"

The male Arrancar jumped back, releasing his scythe from the stranger, Naruto's, grip. He slowly came down in a crouch, not turning away from his enemies who had moved twenty meters away from them courtesy of a few well placed Sonido. A hand was pressed against her flank, warmth swept into her broken body.

"Hang on Yu-chan" he whispered so only she could hear "You'll be as good as new in no time"

He spoke again, only this time it was not directed at her, but the two Arrancar "Oi, listen up 'cause I hate to repeat myself. If any of you lay another hand on her I will kill you!"

His eyes met the male Arrancar, who returned his gaze with a maniacal grin. His type was easy to figure out, and immediately the blonde knew he had a fight on his hands. The other was considerably more difficult to read, her eyes were emotionless, well guarded, but there was something familiar about her. He locked onto her almond orbs, and saw her frown.

Nelliels frown stayed in place as she analysed the boy, she had seen him, but where? She had seen those eyes before. Both were attacked by memories, their eyes unable to leave each other.

"_Hiss, Rey Del-"_

_Before he could finish a spiritual pressure ten times his fell upon the area, this time Naruto did come down to a knee, using every ounce of pride and strength to stop himself from falling to the ground below. The new power even made Orochimaru stop in his tracks. There was a blur and another silhouette appeared directly behind him, a slender hand gripping the blade of the snake Sannin's Zanpakuto. _

"_You have overstepped yourself, Orochimaru"_

_He looked back with a snarl "Nelliel Tu Oderschvank"_

_The woman standing behind him was tall and, besides the situation Naruto could tell by her skin tight white battledress that she was very well formed. Her long, unkempt light green hair stretched down to her waist, her skin was olive coloured, a long crimson line stretching from cheek to cheek. Hazel eyes which were piercing and almost eerily calm starred stoically into the snakes without flinching. The remains of a mask were present on the top of her head, the top half of a demonic skull with an upper jaw of sharp teeth and two curved horns._

"_This game is over" she spoke, her voice sweetly musical yet calm and stoic._

"_Oh, and what game might that be" Orochimaru asked with that sickeningly calm mirth filled voice of his "I thought our lord wouldn't mind a few less Shinigami to worry about"_

"_He told you to leave them alone" was her answer, her hand still gripping the snake's blade "And to let him worry about the Shinigami"_

"_Ah yes now I remember" was the Sannin's reply "But I got so bored"_

_She glared at him for a moment, before raising her free hand "We're leaving"_

"_As you wish Tres Espada"_

"I know you" he muttered as he starred into those hazel eyes, never shying away, not even for a moment. _Nelliel Tu Oderschvank… Tres Espada?_

"This boy" Nelliel herself muttered under her breath, so that not even Nnoitra could hear her. _I've seen him somewhere before, but where?_

He suddenly unleashed his rietsu, and the Tres Espada's eyes opened wide in silently shock at what she saw. A massive form began to emerge high above him, as if his rietsu had unconsciously sent her this image. It was of a giant creature, a fox with crimson fur, dagger like teeth, eyes that shined with a scarlet glow and nine flowing tails fluttering and sweeping behind him.

_Nine Tails? _She thought frantically. He was the one they had been sent to search for. He was the one Aizen-sama wanted. Yet she felt his spiritual pressure, and knew that even if Nnoitra and she attacked him together they may have some trouble. This child's rietsu was disturbingly powerful, unnaturally strong, yet unrefined. It was obvious to her that he was unable to completely control his power, and that might give them an edge, if a slight one.

Perhaps there was another way. Perhaps in this instance diplomacy was a better option than fighting. In a quick motion she sheathed her Zanpakuto and raised her hands in surrender, ignoring her partner's look of utter disgust. The boy made no move, offensive or defensive. He simply remained crouched down in front of the Hollow, a dim crimson light illuminating his hand, resting on her flank.

_What is he doing?_

The light dimmed further, and vanished. A moment later the two tailed cat stirred and rose to her feet, shaking herself before turning her gaze upon them. She looked ready to attack, but was stopped by a calm hand on her shoulder. She turned to the young man, their eyes locked and after a moment of fierce internal argument she backed down.

"What do you want?" he asked, his eyes turning to them.

Nelliel met his gaze unflinchingly "To talk"

A dry, humourless chuckle escaped him "Talk? That didn't look like talk to me"

"Forgive my partner, he is easily excitable and foolish" Nnoitra turned a glare to her, but wisely remained quiet "We have a proposition for you"

"I'm listening" he said after a moment, ignoring the questioning gaze he got from his Adjuchas ally.

"Our master wishes to meet with you, to speak with you about the possibility of some sort of alliance" she spoke.

Naruto was silent for a moment, before nodding "And if I meet with your leader and refuse his offer, what happens then?"

Nelliel unconsciously found her hand twitching near her Zanpakuto "That is between you and him"

Once again the blonde seemed to be in deep thought, before to the surprise of the two Arrancar and his Hollow ally he nodded his head "Very well, I will speak with your leader, but there is one condition to my coming along" he turned to Yugito for a moment "She comes too"

Nelliel, surprised by his sudden acceptance lowered her hands to her side "Very well" at that she abruptly turned, her hair flowing around her from the sudden movement "Please follow us"

Nnoitra hesitated for a moment, before quietly cursing under his breath and turning to follow his _partner_. He had wanted a chance to fight this man, but it seemed that it wasn't necessary.

Naruto and Yugito walked behind them, the former Nibi Jinchuriki finding her muscles stiff and tired. Naruto had healed her battle injuries, but sadly his gift could do nothing about her stiffness. She looked up at the backs of the two Arrancar. They were a couple of meters in front of them, before turning her gaze to Naruto.

"What are you doing?"

His eyes met hers "Just a hunch I have"

She sighed "A memory came up huh?"

"Yup" he replied with a small smile "And that green haired woman was in it. I have a feeling that if I follow her then I may be able to remember more of my past life, and hopefully regain my lost memories…and maybe, just maybe it can help you as well"

She was silent for a moment, before sighing and nodding her head in agreement. Naruto's gut had never led them astray before, and over their time together she had learned to trust him and his decisions, still "Just be careful Naruto, those two are Arrancar, Hollows who have forcibly removed their masks to gain more power…and there are rumours that they are the underlings of a powerful Shinigami"

"A Shinigami" he asked "Why would a death god be here?"

She shrugged "It's only a rumour, might not even be true"

Naruto nodded, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that the rumour was very, very true.

------

It turned out that the forest of Menos wasn't the surface of Hueco Mundo, which surprised both Naruto and Yugito. The blonde looked over the landscape, a huge desert of white dunes stretching for as far as the eye could see. Clusters of rock and small shrivelled trees stabbed out from the surface in certain places, and Naruto wondered if they were the tops of the massive pillars far below. He looked up and saw the sky of this hellish world for the first time. It was a starless abyss, the odd wisp of cloud just barely seen from the eerie light of the crescent moon.

The Arrancar stopped, watching their two charges as they looked around in wonder. It was the woman, Nelliel, who spoke "Is this your first time above ground?"

Both nodded, and Naruto replied "We always thought the forest was the world, never expected this over our heads"

"Heh" Nnoitra said with a superior sneer "What tiny minds you have, thinking that that pathetic little wasteland below was the world"

Yugito snarled, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder "Don't let him get to you Yu-chan. It's obvious he's just pissed 'cause you nearly beat him"

"You say something"

"You heard me" Naruto replied unflinchingly.

Nnoitra slowly raised his scythe, only for his partner to place a hand, gently yet firmly on the pole. The two shared a heated look before the male Arrancar backed down. Obviously the woman was the superior of the two.

"Enough, all of you" she said firmly, as if she were talking to children "Nnoitra, Aizen-sama wants these two brought to Las Noches alive and unharmed. Incur his wrath if you wish, but I will not"

Nnoitra snarled in barely controlled annoyance, before turning and taking a few steps, muttering a barely audible stream of curses before vanishing in a Sonido. Nelliel sighed before turning back to her charges, a small disarming smile on her face.

"Come along"

It was several days of travel until they saw their destination. Naruto had heard rumours of Las Noches, the great fortress of Hueco Mundo where the Arrancar resided. He knew it would be impressive. The fortress consisted of a main domed building, surrounded by several large cylindrical towers and other, slightly smaller flat roofed structures. On top of the dome were six smaller tower-like structures. All of the buildings were coloured white, like the surrounding sands, locations for important rooms he surmised. Even when they saw the fortress it took another day to get there, and both Jinchuriki could only watch in awe at how large the fortress of Las Noches was. To be able to see it from such a distance was a true testament to its sheer scale.

Finally they came to one of the entrances, massive titanic gates of white stone, which automatically opened and closed at the very presence of the two Arrancar. They were then led through a vast maze of corridors, leading Naruto to assume that a good portion of this fortress was underground.

No words were spoken between them. Nnoitra was still seething over the little exchange in the forest, and trying to hold a conversation with him could lead to a loss of a limb or two. Nelliel had also been silent as she led them all through the mass of tunnels. Yugito had not left Naruto's side the entire journey, and by her fidgety stance he knew she did not trust these two. Not that he could blame her.

Finally Naruto broke the silence "So who is this guy…Aizen"

"That's Aizen-sama to you brat" Nnoitra spat.

The blonde shrugged "Whatever"

"Aizen-sama is our commander, our leader" Nelliel explained, cutting off her partner "He is the one who turned us into Arrancar, turned us from bloodthirsty monsters into what you see now. All for one purpose"

"What purpose?" Naruto asked, intrigued.

"To wage war with the Shinigami and the Soul Society"

"I see" Naruto replied, feeling a sudden feeling of unease. He squashed it quickly "Is it true that he is a Shinigami himself?"

She looked him in the eyes, and nodded "It is true that he is a Shinigami, but a powerful one"

Naruto nodded, he knew the name Aizen, something in the back of his mind was telling him to be wary, but once again he squashed it. Finally after what felt like hours they came to a chamber, covered in shadows. Most of the eerie light coming from a massive wall window at the other side of the chamber, allowing the light of the crescent moon to filter through. A large set of steps led up to a platform, on this platform was a large high backed white throne.

Sitting on this throne was a man, and almost immediately could feel that he was immensely powerful and dangerous. Brown eyes looked down upon him, widening ever so slightly before returning to normal, his hair was a dark brown and swept back, a single long strand hanging over his face. This man wore black robes with white trim. A long white coat of some kind neatly folded over one side of his throne, and a Zanpakuto leaning against the other side, fully sheathed.

_So the power I felt was you, eh Naruto-kun? _Aizen thought as he rose from his position and walked down the steps with deliberate slowness, allowing his steps to echo through the hollow chamber. His eyes fell upon the Adjuchas Hollow beside him, and widened ever so slightly again in surprise. Carefully he brushed her with his mind, and marvelled at how similar her rietsu was to young Naruto's. _If I am not mistaken that is the Nibi no Nekomata with him as well, how interesting that two Jinchuriki meet in the wastes _"Welcome friends to Las Noches"

His eyes fell on Naruto again, and he held his gaze, checking with incredible subtlety to see if there was any recognition. There was none, not even a flicker in those expressive oceanic eyes. _It looks like that blow to the head, coupled with the stress of Hollowfication, has led to amnesia._

Aizen had already had several plans thought out of in his mind. He needed to get Naruto on his side. He wanted to harness his power, study his natural Hollowfication and gain a powerful ally in his eventual war against the Soul Society. The Nekomata was another possible boon for his plans, he could see by how close she stayed with him that wherever Naruto goes she was likely to follow. Once he had her he would put her through the Shinigamification process, and make her into an Arrancar.

One step at a time

"You are wondering why I have asked my soldiers to bring you here" Aizen began as he glided over the last few steps to the main floor, stopping a meter away from his two guests "And the answer to that is simple, I want you two to join our ranks"

Naruto saw Nelliel and Nnoitra vanish in a cluster of Sonido, reappearing on the tops of elevated platforms he had not noticed before "I hear you are planning a war with the Shinigami of the Soul Society. Tell me why would you plan for war with your own, and why with Hollows, your supposedly sworn enemies?"

"A good question" Aizen replied "And my answer is this. The Central 46, the Noble Houses, the Goteijusantai, the entire governmental system of the Soul Society is corrupt to the very core. A select few influential beings live in the lap of luxury while many others live in poverty and despair, in lawlessness and pain, and those with power purposely ignore them. Even the Spirit King and his royal family, safe in their ivory tower know of this and do nothing" he looked both in the eye "I plan to change everything, bring down the old regime of the Soul Society and replace the heads of state. Change everything for the better"

"_Hollofying" Naruto turned the name around in his mind "What the hell is that!?"_

"_Your feigned ignorance will do you no good"_

"_You are charged in assisting Kisuke Urahara in illegal experiments concerning Hollowfication, and using this knowledge on the Captains of third, fifth, seventh and ninth Divisions, as well as the Lieutenants of eighth, ninth, twelfth and the Kido Divisions"_

"A noble goal" Naruto returned, immediately distrusting this man, but he needed him if he were to regain his lost memories. This man was the key. He knew it in his soul. But there was one problem. What about Yugito? He could tell that she was nervous and scared, in truth by sensing all of the powerful beings scattered within this place he too felt a tinge of fear.

He leaned in close to her ear, whispering just under his breath so this Aizen was just out of range "If you are uncomfortable with any of this-"

"I will follow you" she replied, cutting him off "So don't ask me if I want to run away"

"You're sure?"

"Yes"

"Alright then" Naruto replied with a small smile, before setting his gaze on the Shinigami once again "We will join you. But do not think that it is for a utopia. I join you because I wish to regain my memories, and I feel you are the key, same for Yu-chan. Is that understood?"

"Quite clearly" Aizen replied with a small smile "But I am afraid that in order for your friend to become a member of this army she needs to become an Arrancar"

He looked back at his friend, only to see her look at him, and nod "She accepts"

Aizen smiled "Good"

------

It was an hour before the first stage of the transformation was complete, and as Naruto was led into the chamber where the final stage was to take place he found that he was not alone. On platforms scattered across the chamber were Arrancar, at least a half dozen of them, each taking a place on a platform to watch the proceedings below.

He recognised Nelliel on a midlevel stand, beside her were another three Arrancar, but they remained back just beyond his sight. An old man with his mask remains consisting of a crown of white horns stood on another. On another was a bored looking individual with shoulder length black hair and a well trimmed goatee. Others were about, but their spiritual pressure was so minute that he did not even spare them a glance.

Then he brought his attention upon the centre of the room, where a humanoid form was on its knees, covered in a layer of bandages with her arms stretched out, obviously a woman. She was surrounded by an orange barrier, shaped like an inverted pyramid. Aizen stood beside her, and turned his head to see Naruto as he approached "Ah, your right on time. I was about to begin" he glanced at several other empty platforms "Wouldn't you like a prime seat for the show?"

He shook his head as he came up beside the architect of Hueco Mundo and watched the prone form, waiting for the ritual to begin "I think she would be relieved if she felt I was near"

"Very well" Aizen replied and reaching into his coat retrieved the neo-Hōgyoku and held it in front of him, watching as it shone with an unnatural light before shattering with a loud crack.

For a moment nothing happened, and then a massive explosion of spiritual pressure struck the area. So powerful that some of the weaker beings in the room fell to their knees. Both Naruto and Aizen's clothes and hair were whipped back by a sudden gale force wind. A cerulean tint took over the orangey glow of the inverted pyramid and a scream of pure agony, sheer and near deafening escaped Yugitos lips.

Naruto, slightly disturbed turned to Aizen for answers, only to see him leaned back, his eyes wide and a dumbfounded look on his features "This is new"

Like someone had broken a dam the inverted pyramid shattered, sending forth a powerful shockwave which sent both Naruto and Aizen flying across the chamber, both righted themselves in midair and skidded to a halt, watching as spiritual pressure of the deepest azure seemed to explode from Yugitos bandaged form like blood, the tendrils of cerulean swirled as if they were a whirlpool, the noise near deafening. The air chilled, and a feeling of immense foreboding struck all in attendance, it was as if the air itself had become foul. Something was wrong with this spiritual pressure, it almost felt like they were starring death in the face.

"What is going on" Naruto yelled to be heard over the dull roar of the gale and the pained screams.

"I'm not sure" was Aizens reply "But this is not normal. Something is wrong!"

The spiritual pressure was so volatile that it seemed to form a tornado above Yugito, a continuous mass of swirling spiritual energy. Cracks appeared on the walls. The pillars that supported the upper platforms shattered and fell over like fallen trees. And through it all a distortion began to take shape in the spiritual pressure. A head was forming in the midst of the tornado, yellow eyes, whiskers and fur, piece by piece the head of a nightmarish cat took shape, feral and murderous, like a head was edging through smoke.

It seemed to look at everyone, and snarl.

* * *

_**Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter everybody. I've come across a little dilemma in that I have posted too many stories in the same timeframe. I don't know about you but I am a guy who likes going one story at a time, and four at once is a little much.**_

_**Anyway I am definitely putting my **__**Battlestar Galactica/Stargate crossover on hold until further notice**__** and try to focus on my three other fics (Including this one so don't worry). Once again I am sorry for keeping you guys waiting, so here you are. My gift to you!!! Peace out.**_


	23. Battle of the Wills

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Battle of the Wills**_

The quiet of Las Noches was shattered by a massive explosion, sending thick white smoke and debris into the air, huge chunks of rock slamming into the surrounding sand dunes, into other buildings, some even reaching high enough to leave craters on the ceiling of the great fortress. The blast unleashed was powerful enough to blow an entire wall away, and if his calculations were accurate that wall was most likely over three meters thick.

Naruto flashed back into existence twenty meters in the air, masked face looking down on the remains of the chamber they had been using. Other forms flashed into existence, scattered across the air and the dunes below, watching in awe as the cyclone of azure energy rose from the wreckage, slowly increasing its reach to the ceiling above.

Yugito was in the middle of that cyclone. She was in pain, agony, screaming for help. Questions flew through his mind, but forward of them all was just one; what the hell just happened? He knew for a fact that Yugito was just like him. Could he have the same negative reaction? Was there something like this inside him?

_Balancing itself on the open topped floor, claws' digging into the timber and concrete was a fox. But it was different than any fox he had ever seen. Instead of crimson fur his body seemed to be covered in a white carapace, with the only other color being the black claws, snout and ear tips. Nine long tails, bushy in appearance twirled around him, some wrapping themselves around the mansion, others lying limp, others still just swaying back and forth. But his eyes got Naruto's attention, because unlike the rest of the world they held color which was not in blacks, whites or grays. The eyes were crimson, and they were focused on him with a murderous hunger._

_A throaty growl assaulted his senses, distorted and nightmarish __**"So we meet again, Gaki!"**_

He shook his head to dispel the memory. A question for another time, for now his course of action was simple. He needed to help her, but how?

He felt a gust of wind, followed by a low level boom and a shadow towering over him. Naruto turned to see the green haired Arrancar woman floating beside him, her hazel eyes surveying the destruction below. She spoke, her voice calm yet he saw a slight glint of worry in her eyes "What is going on?"

"How should I know" he replied.

"You are both Jinchuriki. You should know what is going on"

"Kind of difficult, what with a lack of memories" Naruto shot back lightly, before he surveyed the scene below for a few more seconds, finally he spoke "I need to help her…she's in pain, I can feel it"

"How do you know this?" Nelliel asked, mildly curious.

"I don't know how I can sense it, I just do" he ground back, before vanishing in a Sonido. He reappeared several meters below, soaring through the air towards the whirlwind of wayward spiritual energy.

Nel watched him dart towards the anomaly with reckless abandon, and sighed "If I let you get yourself killed Aizen-sama will be disappointed"

With those words spoken she used a Sonido, taking off after the blonde at breakneck speed. Her eyes narrowed as she went into a steep dive after the Vizard, watching as he released a midlevel cero, the beam of crimson piercing through the tornado, allowing him to break through to the eye of the storm. The hole closed up as he entered, like a huge maw slamming down.

Nelliel opened her mouth, drawing energy to the tip of her tongue, her own light green cero forming. With a release of breath she fired, watching as the beam slammed into the cyclone, allowing an opening. With a Sonido she made it through the gap before it closed, and surveyed her new surroundings.

It was really like a tornado, right down to the eye of calm in the middle. She watched the swirling energy around her, knowing that she was as good as dead if she even touched it. Looking down she saw two figures, one in a kneeling position, the other lying prone on the ground. Nelliel descended, her feet touching the concrete floor silently as she observed the duo.

She recognised Naruto immediately, his torn Shinigami robes, his spiked blonde hair and his fox mask covering all of his face but the brilliant, vibrant oceanic eyes. The other she could not place. The figure, who she knew was a woman, had long blonde hair; pooled on the floor behind her head like a halo, pale skin, her eyes tightly shut. She was naked, but Naruto had placed a cloak over her to cover her form.

This had to be Yugito.

As the Tres came closer she saw that the woman's sleep was anything but peaceful, seeing the telltale signs of her eyes darting from right to left under her eyelids. Yugitos body was tossing and turning, convulsing, the dull roaring of the cyclone joined by a tense, pained whimper from the woman's lips. Naruto was holding her down by her shoulders, his eyes showing his worry.

"What's wrong with her?" the Espada asked as she kneeled beside Naruto, her own eyes settling on the woman.

"I'm not sure" he replied "But I'm guessing that whatever Aizen was planning didn't have the desired effect. Her rietsu is out of control, its unstable…almost like it has a mind of its own" Nelliel thought for a moment, before reaching out with her hand, which was stopped by a vicelike grip. Naruto starred right into her eyes "What are you doing?"

"I need to check to see if the signs of the change are still there" Nelliel replied "It could give us clues"

The blonde was silent for a moment, before releasing her wrist and giving his consent with a nod. Grabbing a fistful of the cloak she pulled it aside, inspecting Yugitos body for any sign of the Shinigamification process. After a moment she started to frown. There was no hollow hole, no mask fragments, not even a tiny piece. It was almost like she was never a hollow to begin with, like all signs of that fact were purged. She almost looked like a regular soul.

The woman suddenly shot up in a sitting position, eyes and mouth wide open in an agonised scream, which slowly became a gurgle, like she was about to throw up. White liquid exploded from her mouth, eyes, ears, through her nose, seemingly on a collision course with Nel until the substance stopped in midair and flew back, covering the blondes face. Yugito fell back, struggling violently against whatever was invading her body.

The white liquid slowly took a form, a round nose, tipped ears, slanted holes for eyes, azure whisker markings on the cheeks. It looked like a hollow mask, and as the mask finished its transformation Nelliel saw a pair of eyes pierce through the darkness, looking straight at her with a ravenous hunger. The eyes were an unnatural cerulean, with slit midnight blue pupils.

------

_A two year old girl screaming in agony, lying on her back in the centre of a huge circle of runes. Her small body covered in black glyphs and seals. Men and women standing on the edges of the complex hexagon, whispering an incantation she could not hear nor understand. Azure chakra exploded forth, forcefully entering her body through her mouth and eyes._

_Cerulean chakra, dense and evil encompassed her. Every nerve ending was on fire, every centimetre of skin felt like it was being cut into by hundreds of microscopic knives. Then a pair of glowing cat-like eyes was starring down upon her, angry, mocking and hateful._

_A six year old girl curled up in a corner, watching with tear filled eyes as her Jonin mother was murdered, trying to protect her from a group of villagers. She awoke to find herself in a mountain of corpses, her hands covered in blood._

_An eight year old girl lay in a corner, legs drawn up to her chest, crying out her uselessness to an uncaring world._

"_Hey kid" looked up she saw a young man, just out of his teens, form muscular, his body the colour of night, his hair white with a slight yellowy tint "You alright?"_

_A ten year old girl starring down the baleful eyes of a huge demonic entity, safely protected by a barrier of steel bars "Alright you dirty bitch" the child growled "Whether you like it or not you are in my body, your rent is overdue and I want it with interest!!!"_

_A twelve year old girl looking down at a Cloud headband, hands carefully tracing the symbols etched into the metal "Yugito Nii, from this day forward you are a Genin"_

_A thirteen year old girl, hands holding a blood drenched kunai, driving it into the neck of an enemy Ninja again and again. Blood splattered across her face as tears flooded from her eyes._

"_From this day forward you are a Jonin" a sixteen year old girl looked at the metallic grey flak vest in her hands with wonder. She had finally done it, she was accepted._

_A twenty year old woman starring at her best friend as they prepared to spar "Come on Yu-chan" Kirabi whispered with a smirk "Hit me if you can!"_

_She was twenty nine, starring down two agents dressed in pure black cloaks, clouds the colour of spilled blood etched into the fabric._

_She was slammed against a wall, her own kunai digging into her hands, crucifying her against the hard, unbending stone, blonde mane bursting from its confines and covering her bloodied face._

_Save me. _

_Someone save me_

_No one came._

_A twenty nine year old girl screaming in agony, lying on her back in the centre of a huge circle of runes. Her body covered in black glyphs and seals. Men and women standing on the tips of stone fingers, whispering an incantation she could not hear nor understand, azure chakra exploding from her mouth and eyes, being devoured by a nightmarish stone statue._

_Silence_

_She awoke in a nightmare, a forest of dead trees and cursed earth surrounding her. _

_She stood, confused and disoriented, staggering to a pool of clear water. _

_She looked at her own reflection, seeing the monstrous visage starring back at her._

_She screamed._

------

The last pieces of white liquid seeped across her exposed flesh, covering her face. The last of her screams morphing into a nightmarish snarl. Then she was still, and silent. Naruto and Nelliel looked at each other for a second, before the blonde pressed his fingers against her neck, searching for a pulse of spiritual pressure. Sure enough there it was.

"Nelliel" he said, gaining the Espada's attention "Go to Aizen, tell him to place a ten layered barrier around this area"

"What do you mean?" she asked, perturbed.

"Trust me" he replied, his eyes not leaving the masked visage which had overtaken his partner. He didn't know why he was asking for the shield, he just had a sinking feeling that it would be needed "Go and tell him, now!"

The green haired woman hesitated, before nodding and rising to her feet, vanishing with a quick Sonido. As she blurred away Naruto rose to his feet and took several steps back, his eyes not leaving the prone figure. The truth was he felt the spiritual pressure fall upon the entire area, like a heavy blanket which made it hard to breathe. This wasn't Yugitos rietsu, it felt older, it felt larger, it felt unnatural.

It felt evil.

He didn't notice it at first, but small bubbles of dark blue began to appear on her form, slowly expanding until it covered her entire body. Naruto tensed, falling into a defensive stance, watching as the bubbling liquid took a shape, like it had a life of its own. Yugitos hands were overtaken by large clawed paws, a single long tail grew from the small of her back, long ears formed over her head. Her body rose, like she was on an invisible rising table. When she was finally upright she fell forward on her hands and feet, that nightmarish mask fully formed, cerulean eyes with slit pupils glowing through the dark eye holes.

Yugito threw her head back, as if looking up to the sky, and screamed an unnatural, terrifyingly hollow cry which seemed to echo through the vast space of the fortress interior. Then those cerulean eyes settled on him, took in his masked face and tattered robes.

"Come on Yu-chan" he whispered, as she prowled towards him like a hungry predator "Snap out of it"

She swiped her paw, which confused him considering she was too far away. Then he saw it, the rietsu around her hand extended, a long paw of spiritual pressure shooting out towards him. He jumped back, vanishing in a Sonido just as the paw slammed into the ground where he once stood, sending a mass of white smoke and debris into the air. The Shinigami reappeared above the carnage, and whistled as he saw the great crater where he once stood.

"Sorry Yu-chan" he whispered, crimson rietsu seeping through his pores, beginning to overtake him "But it looks like I have no choice, _**I'll force you to snap out of it"**_

Slowly his crimson rietsu took a form, long pointed ears, a single long swishing tail and clawed hands. The crimson bubbled and swirled around him, as if it was an entity completely independent of his own will. Naruto gritted his teeth behind his mask, feeling the liquid cover his body, feeling like his skin was being coated by molten liquid. Even when the transformation completed itself he still felt it, although thankfully it had become a dull ache.

Naruto looked up to see Yugito's half masked face starring openly at him. The left side of her face contorted in a beastly snarl, mouth curled up, teeth bared, eyes twinkling with glee at the promise of violence. Naruto saw red, a voice in his mind crying out for the chance to hurt, to maim, and to kill. He grit his teeth again, and willed the dark voices away.

Yugito's howl shook him from his internal conflict, and with a quick crouch she rocketed forward, paws outstretched. Naruto broke out into a run, rushing towards her with an extended claw. The two met, and explosion of cerulean and scarlet demolishing the surrounding structure, kicking up a massive cloud of dust, debris, and half expended spiritual pressure.

------

"Now that is impressive" Aizen said to himself as he watched the scene, the surrounding structure had been eviscerated. The debris and remnants of rietsu smashing against the kido barriers erected around the battlezone, flashing yellow as they struck and ricocheted.

The dust cleared and Aizen looked on with widened eyes as the two figures became visible once again, two darkened silhouettes, covered in bubbling masses of crimson and azure, both seemingly crafted to look like the outlines of a fox and a big cat. The two were locked together like a couple of duelling bison.

He heard a muffled bang, and turned to see Dordonii standing before him, kneeling and head bowed in respect "Report"

"The barriers _have_been successfully erected my lord" the fourth Espada intoned "The collateral damage will be contained"

"Excellent, thank you Dordonii" Aizen said with a nod "Gather all available Arrancar and place them around the perimeter. They are to keep the barriers from cracking. If the shields break then all of Las Noches will be in jeopardy"

"These Jinchuriki are that strong my lord?"

"Not at the moment" Aizen replied, eyeing the battle as the two disengaged and jumped back "But it will become a problem if more tails begin to form"

"Tails?"

He nodded "You see Dordonii the power of a Jinchuriki is judged by the number of tails he or she possesses. The woman possessed the Nibi no Nekomata when she was alive, meaning that two tails is her limit, and while she is powerful Starrk or even Barragan could subdue her. Naruto on the other hand has the potential to call upon the tails of the Kyubi no Yoko; nine tails altogether" Aizen paused for a moment "If he calls upon all tails, and if he loses control then it would take all ten Espada to stop him"

The Cuatro Espada looked down at the scene with wide eyes "Should I gather the Espada, Aizen-sama?"

"Please do"

------

"_Can you hear me?"_

_She opened her eyes to be met with a sky coloured in shades of gray and white, clouds lazily following a course. She sat up a little too quickly, and immediately regretted it as her head began to pound like a drum, drawing a hiss of pain and a hand shooting up to massage her temple._

_Squinting her eyes she looked around, seeing that she was lying on the peak of a small mountain, looking around she saw others, a circle of mountains surrounding a large lake of crystal blue water. Low level clouds were scattered between ten meters above the water surface to the middle of the cliffs. It seemed more like a valley than a circle of mountains. Immediately she recognised it as the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, an ancient range which was once located in the heart of the Land of Lightning._

_Yugito frowned as she looked across the landscape, one moment she was in the Arrancar fortress of Las Noches, the next she was laying on the top of one of the mid level peak of the Valley of Clouds and Lightning. She stood up, staggering slightly when she stood up straight, and walked to the edge of the cliff._

_She looked down to see that she was wearing the exact clothes she remembered wearing in her dreams; or nightmares. Baggy dark purple trousers, Shinobi sandals, a long sleeved shirt, lower half purple, top half black, black sleeveless gloves, white bandages wrapped around her arms, forearms and around her ankles. She touched her hair to see that her long blonde mane was tied in the same white cloth she always remembered._

"_Can you hear me?"_

_Her ears perked up, and with a start she turned, expecting someone behind her. There was no one. Bewildered she took a few steps from the edge, her eyes darting across the flat mountain top. Suddenly she felt a presence tugging at her mind, and after a moment of hesitation she allowed it to guide her._

"_Find me"_

_With a deep breath she took a step over the edge, somersaulting in midair and landing on the steep slope. She skidded down the incline, ignoring the fine mass of dust which followed her wake. Yugito looked down to see a carved flat of rock. With a well timed jump and somersault she landed in a crouch. Standing up she turned to see stairs crafted from the rock, leading up to a large cave entrance._

"_Come on child"_

_She ascended the steps and walked to the entrance, stopping for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping into the abyss. Yugito walked down the corridor, lit up by dim torches. She ran a hand along the rough rocky walls, a surge of memories of her training here with Kirabi._

_There were good times and bad times within these walls, but here she had been the happiest she had ever been in her life, training, eating, staying up all night and talking about nonsense. Her time training with the Hachibi Jinchuriki was some of the happiest of her life, and she wouldn't trade it for the world._

_Finally the corridor widened into a cavern, its walls held up by a wooden frame, adding extra support to the hollowed out chamber. She saw the futons laid out on the ground to the far right, the pots and vases used for bringing in water, the table with a leg warmer for the snowy winters. It was exactly as she remembered it, sparse yet homey. Looking forward she saw yet another set of wide steps carved into the rock, leading up to another room, a sparse training chamber of solid rock walls, perfect for trying to control your Biju._

_She climbed the steps with ease, acknowledging the pull and allowing it to lead her to where it wanted to go, where she needed to go. Yugito came to a stop at the opening between living chambers and training grounds, took a deep breath and entered._

_She was surprised that someone else was in the chamber, a woman sitting on a tatami mat in the very centre. Legs crossed, eyes closed as if in meditation. The first thing Yugito noticed about her was her long flowing black hair, stretching down her back and pooling onto the mat. Her face was serene, skin the colour of cream. She wore a kimono, crimson in colour, laced with yellow and black, the fabric pooling on the floor just like her hair._

_The woman opened her eyes, looking straight at Yugito for a handful of heartbeats, and then smiled "You came, you finally came"_

_There was such joy laced in her words that it gave Yugito pause. She frowned at the woman, not interrupting her as she rose to her feet and walked over to her with an unnatural grace in her movements; it was almost as if she was floating. Finally the former Kumo-nin regained her voice, and asked "Who are you?"_

_The woman stopped, looking at her, head tilted in curiosity "Don't you recognise me? It's me…" her mouth moved, yet Yugito could not hear, it was almost like she had become deaf for the second it took the stranger to speak._

_Upon seeing her bewildered expression the woman's face fell, and a sigh escaped her lips "I see, so my voice still can't reach you"_

_Yugito remained silent, bewildered, confused and not trusting her voice to speak, finally she decided to change the subject by asking another question which haunted her "What is this place?"_

"_This is your mindscape, your inner world" the woman replied "It is here where a Zanpakuto spirit resides" she placed a hand to her chest "I am your Zanpakuto, Yugito"_

"_Impossible" she rebuked firmly "Only Shinigami have Zanpakuto! I am not a Shinigami!"_

"_So they do" the woman replied "But you are no longer a Hollow, so you must be a Shinigami"_

"_How is that possible?"_

"_It is because you were once a Jinchuriki" her Zanpakuto replied "You became a Hollow not because you were meant to be, but because of the demon which was nestled inside you. Your death was a traumatic and terrible fate, and the agony you went through made you lose control after death, the Nekomata took over and in its death throes turned you into a Hollow" she took a step forward, and Yugito took a step back. She wasn't going to lie to herself, she was afraid "You have been given a chance. Throw off this fate, defeat the demon inside you once and for all, and become a Shinigami…or fail, let the demon take you and remain as a Hollow"_

_The woman's emerald eyes focused on something behind Yugito, and seemed to harden "The choice is yours"_

_Then she felt it, a familiar presence, an ominous presence, a malevolent presence. One she recognised all too well. Yugito took a dry gulp, and turned to see the creature which had haunted her nightmares for years. Standing on the other side of the chamber, starring at her with feral cerulean eyes was a giant cat. Its skin seemed to be made of white carapace, clawed paws digging into the asphalt, two long tails swishing behind her. The creature's eyes focused on her, jaws peeling back into a snarl._

"_**Hello Kitten"**_

"_Yugito!"_

_She turned just in time to catch an object, a fully sheathed sword thrown by her Zanpakuto. It was a katana, its hilt covered in white cloth, its golden guard circular and its sheath gleamed white with golden embroidering. Quickly she drew the sword from the scabbard, and watched the liquid silver blade, mesmerised at the craftsmanship. _

_It was perfect._

"_Fight it!"_

"_**So are you actually going to put up a fight this time, Kitten?" **__the Nibi no Nekomata asked, before crouching its fore legs and pouncing forward __**"I would hate for our last battle to end quickly!!!"**_

------

The cero came quickly and precisely, a ball of pure cerulean, a trail of light blue following in its wake like a comet. Naruto raised a hand and watched as the rietsu claw expanded to three times its original mass. The claw closed around the cero just as it impacted and exploded. Naruto pierced through the steam, his other clawed hand extending towards his opponent.

Yugito jumped to the side, missing the claw and with an inhuman cry of glee fired a series of blue tinted fireballs from her mouth. The torrents of flame soared through the air, destroying chunks of wreckage, ripping through the ground and exploding off Naruto's demon cloak as he darted left and right in a vain attempt to dodge. The shield of rietsu took the brunt of the hit, but he still felt the sting.

Naruto didn't know how to call upon these powers. It was instinctual, his body just knew the motions, his mind seemed to automatically fall into a state between human and beast. Fighting an internal battle to keep the voice in the back of his head at bay, the voice which demanded that this infernal fortress run red with blood, the voice which chided him to crush Yugito's head like a watermelon, to feel her blood flow from his hands.

He shook his head violently, dispelling the apparition and aiming his hand extended the claw, watching as the arm extended at breakneck speed. Yugito veered away with a chilling laugh which wasn't hers, and the claw slammed into the wrecked concrete floor, crushing it utterly.

But Naruto was already moving, coming towards her, a third tail forming behind him as he called upon more of this strange power, and with this power he felt his control wane even more. One more tail and he could lose his control entirely. Then whatever was goading and laughing at him in the back of his mind would be unleashed.

Yugito's face was completely covered by a white mask by now, much like his own. White porcelain frame, cat like ears with dark blue tips, slanted eyeholes, the glow of cerulean orbs noticeable in the dark shadows, three azure whisker marks etched into the cheeks. The entire left side of her body had been overtaken by the transformation. On the left hand side her body was covered by white carapace, slender arm and leg ending in long, deadly claws. But her right side was a human visage, her nudity covered by the white carapace as it slowly edged across her form.

He was in considerably better condition, for while he was also calling upon his cloak his body remained mostly human, still garbed in the black tattered robes he had worn since he could remember. Only his mask was in place, that demonic visage of a fox. He looked at his right hand, and concentrating rietsu into it created a swirling ball of energy. Using his enhanced abilities he surged forward, vanishing in a blur and reappearing before his opponent.

"Come on Yu-chan" he whispered, blocking a swipe with his left and lashing out with his right, the ball impacted against the demon cloak, but lacked the power to punch through "Wake up!!!"

"You appear to be having problems, Naruto"

Time seemed to stop, everything stopped. The flying debris, the howling wind, the swirling of the energy ball, Yugito's swiping claw, everything stopped. Slowly, eyes wide, Naruto turned to see a man, a man who he recognised as being eerily familiar. Black pants and jacket, dark green armoured vest, silver eyes, black hair, a headband tied to his forehead, a leaf symbol displayed proudly.

"Who are you?"

The man frowned "Must we do this again?"

* * *

_**I have a little dilemma I need your help with. I have been boggling my mind for a name for Yugito's Zanpakuto, I have gone through several dozen ideas, all of which I have classified as failures. Does anyone have an idea for a good name, a Zanpakuto idea…anything? Tell me your ideas either in the review panel or by sending a message to my Fanfiction mail box. **_

_**And for anyone who reads both this and Abyssal One of the Red Clouds I apologise for the chapter taking so long. So far I have written roughly six or seven pages, the progress is slow, then again it is an important chapter in my mind and I want to get it right. So have patience.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, peace!**_


	24. Right to Exist

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Right to Exist**_

"_You appear to be having problems, Naruto"_

_Time seemed to stop, everything stopped. The flying debris, the howling wind, the swirling of the energy ball, Yugito's swiping claw, everything stopped. Slowly, eyes wide, Naruto turned to see a man, a man who he recognised as being eerily familiar. Black pants and jacket, dark green armoured vest, silver eyes, black hair, a headband tied to his forehead, a leaf symbol displayed proudly._

"_Who are you?"_

_The man frowned "Must we do this again?"_

Naruto was about to ask him what he was on about, but suddenly something came to him. This man knew him, knew his name, he seemed familiar to him, he must have been from his past "You know me. Tell me who I am, where I come from…why the bloody hell am I here!"

The man looked him in the eye for a handful of seconds before sighing "So it is true, you have lost your memories"

"Who am I?" Naruto spoke up again, his voice pleading with a hint of desperation. He had travelled through this accursed land for a long time, and not once was there a single soul who recognised him, then this man came. He ignored the fact that time seemed to stop, or the strange clothes he was wearing, he just wanted to know "I know I'm not a Hollow like Yu-chan, but I don't know who or what I am. Can you help me, tell me who I am!"

"You are Uzumaki Naruto" the man replied, taking a step forward "You were once a powerful Shinigami within the ranks of the Goteijusantai, the Thirteen Shinigami Divisions"

"Uzumaki – Naruto" he whispered the name, or more precisely his last name, there it was, another piece of the puzzle was coming into place.

"Yes" the strange man said firmly "And I am your Zanpakuto, my name is Kazerasshu"

"Kazerasshu" Naruto repeated the name slowly, savouring it, another piece. He felt a sudden weight in his hand, and looked down to see a curved katana in his right hand, sheathed in a dark blue scabbard, its guard was round and engraved silver with the black symbol of a leaf etched into every ninety degree angle, the hilt was wrapped tightly in dark blue and black cloth.

"Good, you can still hear my name"

"What else do you know about me? How did I get here? What is the Goteijusantai?"

"Sadly my memory is as fragmented as yours" Kazerasshu replied "All I know is my name and that you are my wielder, that is all"

"Oh" Naruto looked up, dejected.

"We will figure is out together" his Zanpakuto assured, taking another few steps forward so that they were just a few feet apart "But as for now we need to save your friend. Tell me Naruto, what is she to you?"

"My friend" he replied evenly, without hesitation.

"For now that will do" Kazerasshu smirked "Ready to do this?"

"You bet"

"Alright then"

Time moved again, and looking down Naruto noticed his sword appear at his side. He gripped the handle, feeling a rush of joy at the feeling of the cloth covered hilt and in a quick movement drew the blade from the sheath. He marvelled at the liquid silver blade, gleaming crimson and azure from the opposing demon cloaks.

He looked at Yugito, still struggling against his hold on her and immediately his face softened. Those weren't her eyes. Yugito's eyes held pain, suffering, and loneliness within them. These eyes held murderous glee, a wish to do harm, a wish to kill and maim "If you can hear me Yugito take back your mind, this monster is not you!"

He opened his mouth, releasing a pent up cero from the tip of his tongue. The blast, while not strong enough to puncture her cloak, was enough to send her flying back, impacting against a still standing chunk of wall. He spun in mid-movement, his cloak of demonic energy vanishing like a shadow, leaving only him. He looked upon Yugito as she came to her feet, his eyes changing colour from crimson to vibrant blue, and then there was a thunderous crack, followed by shards of porcelain falling from his face and hitting the ground.

Naruto reached up, feeling his face, running his fingers along the groves along his cheeks. He then looked down at the ground to see the remains of his mask, broken into several pieces, shattered further when they impacted against the cracked concrete. There was a dark flash, and he looked down to see that his tattered robes had renewed themselves "Now that's interesting"

He looked at his Zanpakuto, and through instinct ran the middle and index fingers of his left hand along the blade, feeling energy follow his fingertips he muttered an incantation "Descend, Kazerasshu!"

The blade changed, and he felt another rush of joy at its familiar appearance. The pommel of the released state was shaped like an arrowhead with a half meter long hilt covered in grey cloth. The guard was a thin, grey cross-guard, the right side curving down into a finger guard reaching three quarters the length of the hilt. The blade was dark blue with a white edge along the sword, curved on either side with two spike-like protrusions on the top quarter of the spine.

He looked at the weapon for a moment, before turning to his friend, both hands gripping his Zanpakuto. He didn't know why he said the next words, it just seemed to come naturally "Ten no Kaze!"

"_**Come on Kitten is that the best you can do!"**_

_Yugito flew through the opening of the cave, feeling the warm rays of the sun hit her face as she finally exited to open ground. An explosion of dust and debris followed her from a missed attack, but whatever it was she didn't know, or want to know. The former Nibi Jinchuriki hit the ground and skidded to a halt, sending up a thin mass of dust in her wake._

_It was barely a few seconds later when the Nekomata followed her, though she was beginning to have her doubts if this was truly the Nibi no Nekomata. Her body had changed midfight, becoming a perfect copy of Yugito right down to the minutest detail. There was only one difference. Instead of colour her skin, clothes and features were set in blacks, whites and greys. The only feature of her other half with any colour was her eyes, cerulean blue orbs with slit black pupils._

_Within a second her copy was upon her, a malicious grin morphing her features into a demonic visage as she brought down her sword. Yugito was just able to dive to the right in time to dodge, watching as a huge explosion of dust followed the attack. Within moments it cleared revealing a crater where she once stood, her other half standing beside it, a near perfect replica of her own Zanpakuto held idly at her side._

"_**What's wrong kitten"**__ the Nekomata sneered __**"Why do you run? You know that eventually I will catch you right!"**_

_Almost delicately she opened her mouth and inhaled air, puffing out her chest as she took oxygen into her lungs. A ball of energy formed off the tip of her tongue, black in colour. Her breath caught and she exhaled it all with a roar, which was lost to a dull boom. In an instant the ball became a beam of incandescent darkness, shooting towards her with maximum prejudice._

_She knew the attack. She had done it herself a handful of times, a cero. She jumped to the side, just missing the beam as it shot past her, singing her blonde locks as it went before colliding with a mountain top at the other end of the valley. The explosion was deafening, and when it cleared the entire top of the small peak was gone._

"_Why do you run?"_

_Yugito turned, startled, to see that same woman standing beside her, watching her other half with a critical eye._

"_She has all of my Hollow abilities" Yugito replied fearfully, taking a step back "Every one!"_

"_That she has" the woman agreed "Everything you know she knows. Your power is her power"_

"_What is she?"_

"_She is you" the woman replied "Your opposite, your negative, all of your conflicting emotions given birth in a body. Your fear, your helplessness, your loneliness, your pain all gathered in one solid form" her Zanpakuto broke her eyes from the hollow, and bored into hers "But know this, everything she knows you know, and vice versa. You have come to believe that just because you have been given a human body that you have lost your Hollow power, not so. You have the same power as her. You are both opposites, yet you are perfect matches…you can still use your Hollow power, so use them, buy time until my voice reaches you and you know my name"_

_Yugito nodded and took a deep breath, feeling energy coalesce just before the tip of her tongue, her breath hitched and with an exhale she released an azure coloured cero upon her opponent. The suddenly wide eyes of her opposite brought some satisfaction, and then she vanished with a low level boom as the azure energy struck the rock._

"_**There you go Kitten" **__that demonic voice uttered seductively behind her __**"Knew you could do it"**_

_She jumped forward, spinning in midair to face her opponent, only for her eyes to scan an empty clearing. Yugito hit the ground, skidding to a halt, eyes darting back and forth in search of the one with her face._

"_**What are you looking at kitten?" **__that voice whispered again, once again behind her __**"I'm here"**_

_She turned in time to see her other half looming over her, the colourless version of her sword coming down for a killing strike. Yugito jumped back, but was a split second too late as blade cut into flesh, leaving a long, shallow slash mark across her abdomen. She winced in pain, but managed to hit the ground in a crouch, free hand reeled back, Bala already partially forming._

_She punched forward, a cerulean bala blast leaving her fist and flying towards the Hollow, only for the condensed ball of energy to be sliced neatly in half by her sword. The severed halves flew several meters behind her colourless form and hit the ground, exploding with a brilliant azure flash. _

"_Stop fighting like a Hollow" Yugito winced at the annoyed tone, and saw her Zanpakuto sitting cross legged on the edge of the plateau, starring at her impatiently "You are fighting like a Hollow, but that on its own won't be enough. To put her in her place you need to fight like a Shinigami!"_

"_How do I do that!" she cried._

"_My name" the kimono wearing woman replied "What – is – my – name!"_

_A shadow fell upon her, and she looked up in sudden horror to see her colourless half descend like a bird of prey, a malicious grin plastered on her face as she brought her sword down __**"You don't know it kitten…too bad. Rise –"**_

_Whatever her Hollow half was about to say was lost to an unnatural howl, but when it cleared she brought a sword down which was different from a moment before. She couldn't make out the colour, but she could make out slight changes. The guard, which was once oval shaped was now like that of a diamond, a long ribbon flowing from the end of the hilt, the blade was curved, its serrated edge black compared to the white of the actual blade, and the blade was covered in an unnatural black fire._

_Laughing maniacally now her Hollow half brought down the sword, and a blade of fire soared right at her, striking the ground and continuing to burn. Yugito was just able to get out of the way, feeling the heat of the flames against her exposed skin. Like a wraith from hell her Hollow half seemed to explode from the fire, a murderous sneer on her face as she lashed out with a stab, sending a stream of charcoal flame at her._

_Yugito vanished, watching in mute horror as the entire plateau was now set ablaze with those unholy black flames, burning through the rock itself. Then a small circle of fire extinguished itself, revealing her colourless other half standing in the middle of the fire, Zanpakuto held idly at her side, a smug smirk carved onto her face._

_She pointed her sword at Yugito, and the Kumo-nin watched in horror as the flames started to writhe, then reach out like the tendrils of some hungry creature. Her senses barely had time to register the heat before she was encompassed by the dark flames, screaming as she felt her skin burn, and howls of demonic laughter assault her ears._

"_**Goodbye Kitten"**_

_This is it. This is the end._

"_Fight it!" she opened her eyes to come face to face with her Zanpakuto, the woman's slanted eyes partially hidden by wildly flowing black hair, but there was no mistake that her azure eyes were staring intently at her._

"_How" she asked, her voice raspy._

"_My name" the woman replied "Say my name!"_

"_I don't know…it"_

_The woman sighed, before bringing her face within a few millimetres of Yugito's, their noses just touching "I will tell you my name once more, so perk up your ears and listen" Yugito nodded mutely, feeling the flames lick ever closer to her. Her Zanpakuto took a deep breath, and leaned in close, her warm breath ghosting against the shell of her ear "My name is-"_

_Her Hollow half stared up at the burning black flames of her Zanpakuto as they surrounded Yugito like a small cocoon of writhing fire. A smirk spreading across her features as the flames imploded. It was finally done, her dominant half couldn't adapt fast enough, and she would gain the prize._

_Now all that remained was to return to the main plain and take care of that annoying blonde Shinigami. He was quite persistent, but now that she had complete control she could complete her metamorphosis and crush him. _

_She turned, and was about to phase out of the inner world of her host, but something stayed her step. She turned back up to the cocoon of black fire. The flames were writhing and convulsing, as if something alive was still within the miniature tornado, trying with everything to get out. A voice could be heard, weak and raspy but it was still there._

"_Rise, Izanami!"_

_The inner Hollow watched with slowly widening eyes as a small section of black fire changed colour to a brilliant azure. The small blue flame began to spread, converting the black flames around the cocoon. As the last piece of black flame vanished the cocoon exploded and Yugito, clothes slightly burned but otherwise unharmed stood tall and proud, her released state Zanpakuto held in her hands._

_The Shikai state was a beautiful sight. The once white wrappings around the hilt now a bdark blue, a long dark blue ribbon fluttering from the butt, the guard was a black oval, and like the Hollows sword hers was a curved blade, but unlike the replica this one's was a clear oceanic blue, almost as if the blade was made from stained glass._

_Yugito looked down upon her Hollow half and with a flick of her wrist unleashed a great blade of azure flames. Her Hollow mimicked the motion, and once again the black flames that raged along the plateau convulsed, forming into tendrils of black which collided with the azure. For a moment the two fires slammed against each other, and for what seemed like an eternity the two stalemated. _

_Then it happened, the azure flames seemed to spread, converting the black flames to the colour of the original. The Hollow watched in muted shock as her own flames were turned against her, travelling down and overtaking the flames on the plateau. She jumped away, vanishing in a Sonido and reappearing on a mountain top at the other side of the valley._

_Her eyes darted left and right, watching for her prey. Then a shadow fell upon her and she turned to see Yugito above her, sword extended. It was too late to move. The blade plunged through her chest, exiting her back. Instead of blood it seemed like a flower of azure sprouting behind her hollow half, before closing around her, turning her grey and white clothes into azure._

_She looked into her opponents almond eyes, and saw her covered in sweat, her breathe coming and going in shrill gasps __**"Well done Kitten" **_she whispered, her form seemingly turning into mist _**"Maybe you're not so weak after all"**_

Then her form was engulfed by azure flames.

Naruto grit his teeth as he held his sword between himself and the Hollows open maw, the only thing protecting him was the blade. He had tried to subdue the Hollowed Yugito, but her berserker mode was fierce and made it almost impossible to fight softly. He found himself attacking with everything he had just to survive.

He watched with wide eyes as the masked face backed up an inch, and opened her mouth, revealing a rapidly forming cerulean coloured cero. It was a simple change, the animalistic azure eyes convulsed, turning almond, then blue, then almond again. The Hollow reeled back with a scream, releasing the cero into the air.

Naruto looked on, stunned as one of its clawed hands exploded, revealing a five digit human hand, said appendage shot up, grabbing onto the mask, fingers digging into the sides. Small cracks appeared along the nightmarish cat visage, like a window struck by a stone as the hand pulled. He saw the nails cracking under the strain, blood leaking from the roots of her nails in small plops of crimson.

Yugito gave one last agonised scream before the mask shattered, and with it the white carapace body, turning gray before collapsing. The monstrous noise morphed back to a feminine scream of pain. Naruto looked up to see a flawless face of cream skin, eyes tightly shut and seemingly leaking blood, mouth opened for a scream of pain. Then, mercifully, she lost consciousness and fell on top of him, her head resting against his chest.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt a soft swell resting against his abdomen. He looked down and knew that his cheeks were definitely taking on a shade of crimson. Yugito was naked, and was lying directly on top of him. For what seemed like an eternity Naruto's mind switched gears from gentlemen to pervert, before the pervert won out for a brief moment.

He leaned forward, noticing a well toned body yet with enough flesh to give curves to all the right places. Her backside, her well toned legs, nice plump breasts. He shook his head, the inner gentlemen knocking the inner pervert out with a well timed crowbar to the back of the head.

"You appear to be enjoying yourself, Naruto-kun" he looked up to see Aizen standing a few meters away from them, watching the entire fiasco with a raised brow and a smirk.

Naruto in turn gave him a pointed and annoyed look, which must have looked amusing with his cheeks the colour they were "You're enjoying this"

"Now what makes you think that?"

The blonde humphed before looking down upon Yugito's face, eyes closed and features blissfully relaxed. He knew at that moment that whatever happened to her was over "Can someone get me a cloak for her, and a bed for her to sleep it off?"

Aizen hesitated for a moment, before nodding and motioning for one of the Arrancar, he couldn't tell which came forward with a cloak. The cloak was draped over Yugito's unmoving form, giving her some much needed coverage of her womanly assets. Slowly, utilising skills of stealth he didn't know he had Naruto managed to edge his way out from under the blonde, and coming up onto a crouch placed his arms around her, picking her up in his arms and carrying her from the battlefield.

Nelliel appeared before him, looked at the wrapped up blonde in his arms and motioned him with her head "Come on, I'll escort you to my quarters. It'll be safer for her there"

Sosuke Aizen looked out of his throne room window, wondering about the day's events and the revelations on how powerful a Hollowfied Jinchuriki could be. Yugito's power was explosive and unnaturally strong, but during life she was the host to the second weakest beast of the nine. He had seen how powerful Naruto could get with three formed tails, and he was just able to stop him in his Shikai form. If Naruto had gone over six he may have been forced to unleash his Bankai, and if he reached nine…well, one step at a time.

"It looks like you gained two additionally powerful pawns"

He turned his head slightly to see Gin Ichimaru leaning against the wall, arms folded, posture relaxed and foxy grin in place "New weapons yes, but I feel they may be too important to be considered pawns, perhaps knights or crooks"

Gin smirked, his blue eyes just visible "I got some news from the Seireitei for yea"

"Oh and how's the investigation going?"

"They have nothing" Ichimaru replied "Yamamoto is still investigating, but the Central 46 think Naruto's gone rogue like his sensei's"

"Foolish old men" Aizen smirked "All their bureaucracy and corruption makes covering up a war almost too easy"

"So when are we going to kill the old farts?"

"Not yet" the architect said with a smile "Corrupt bureaucrats they may be, but they still have their uses"

"What about the two blondes?"

"Ah yes, those two"

"Do you think it will be possible to separate them?"

"Not a chance"

"Then what do you want to do with them?"

Aizen thought about it for a moment "Yugito-kun has been checked by the healers. She has no Hollow hole or mask fragments. For all intents and purposes she is a Shinigami, right down to her Zanpakuto and spiritual pressure"

"How is that possible?"

"Not sure, but her aura was always strange. So different from any other Hollow I have encountered" the newly promoted 5th Division Captain said as he slowly turned on his heel and walked towards his throne "My theory is that she was never meant to be a Hollow, but her separation from the Nekomata was a harsh one, harsh enough to force her chain of fate to burn out. She became a Hollow, yet retained her humanity…all she needed was a catalyst and she would have changed into a whole again"

"And the Shinigamification process did this?"

"It seemed to have the opposite effect on her, from Hollow to Vizard instead of from Hollow to Arrancar" he sat on his chair, and leaned lazily against the back "It makes me interested in the others. Was this a separate occurrence or is it possible for all of them?"

"Well however it happened we now have two extremely powerful Vizards under your control" Gin ventured, eyeing his co-conspirator with a lazy gaze "The only question is what you are planning to do with them?"

"I want to train them" Aizen replied nonchalantly "Naruto is starting to remember how to wield his Shinigami powers, and his Hollow powers are developing well. Yugito is the opposite, a basic grasp on her Hollow abilities while her knowledge of the Shinigami arts is limited to her knowing the name of her sword"

"Is it wise to train them" Gin asked, his eyes becoming visible as they widened a fraction "What if Naruto regains his memories. That could be a problem"

"It could, and if that happens we will deal with him" Aizen replied "Best to send in a specially trained weapon than an untrained one"

"So who are their teachers going to be?"

"Hmm, now that is the question isn't it"

Slowly she opened her eyes to look upon a white ceiling, drab and undecorated. Her body felt like a lead weight. Her brain was sluggish and her arms and legs felt heavy. A pounding assaulted her head, she hadn't felt such a hangover in a long time, and let the world know with a groan and a curse.

"You're finally awake, Yu-chan"

That voice, she sat up straight in bed, and whimpered as the pounding in her head intensified to almost uncontrollable levels. The world around her began to spin and she fell back in bed, holding onto her head with her hands in a feeble attempt to make the spinning stop.

"Easy" the voice cautioned "You've had a rough time of it, and probably won't be feeling good for a little while"

"Naruto" she whispered hoarsely, reaching out with her hand and felt relief when his hand gripped onto hers and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm here, Yu-chan" she managed a weak smile, and then her tired mind reminded her of something. Was his hand always this big? She squinted open an eye, and immediately shut it again when the light, dull as it was, left spots in her vision.

Blinking several times to get used to the light she opened her eyes again and looked over at him. It was the first time she had seen him without that Hollow mask in place and she had to admit there was a ruggedly handsome face under it. Expressive oceanic eyes full of relief, tanned skin, spiky dark blonde hair and whisker markings, three on each cheek.

"Why did you need to hide your face behind that mask" she asked drearily, a hand covering her eyes "You look pretty handsome"

He smirked at her remark "You don't look so bad yourself"

It took a moment for his remark to register in her mind, but then she drew her hand away to reveal the almond orb of her right eye "What?"

"In fact if I think about it you're the most beautiful girl I've seen around here" he said with a grin. He was always able to make a girl feel special. He just didn't know it yet. She looked at her hand as if for the first time, noticing that it wasn't a paw anymore. Suddenly she shot up in bed again, forcefully pushing the nausea away.

"Do you have a mirror or something" she asked, almost feebly "I want to see my face"

She had stared into the visage of a monster for so long that she almost forgot that she was once human, and as Naruto produced a small mirror, still grinning, she was almost afraid to take it from him. What if she still looked like a monster? What if this was all a dream which would turn into a nightmare the moment she looked into that mirror? It had happened to her before.

Slowly, forcing her hand to stop shaking she brought the mirror before her, and looked into the image. She gasped. It was a face she almost forgot. Cream coloured skin, slanted almond eyes, sharp cheek and chin bones, locks of a blonde fringe partially hiding her forehead and a long mane of messy light blonde hair framing her features.

It was her face.

It was _her _face!

She reached up with her free hand, running her fingertips along the smooth skin of her cheek. Was this all a dream? Her hand probed her face slowly, fingertips going over every contour of skin and committing it to memory. The tears came before she realised it, water pouring from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, she grit her teeth to try and stop the sobs, but it was a fool's errand.

Naruto was now sitting on the bed before her, looking worried and unsure of what to do "Hey Yu-chan" he started, feeling awkward "Are you alright? Why are you crying?"

"Baka" she whispered between sobs, reaching up with both hands to rub her eyes "I'm crying because I'm happy"

Then she blurred forward, wrapping her arms around his startled form in a tight embrace, head leaning against his chest, the tears staining his black robes "Thank you Naruto, I don't know what you did but thank you!"

His shock dissipated quickly, and with a warm smile he placed his hands around her, returning her embrace "Your welcome, Yu-chan"

* * *

_**Ahem, and that's a rap. Hope you all enjoyed it and it wasn't disappointing. Thank you to everyone who sent your requests forward for the naming of Yugito's Zanpakuto and sorry that I didn't put it forward sooner, but I decided to stick to my original idea and move on from there. Now I'm changing a few things, namely instead of adding a translation beside the Japanese name I have decided to add a translation at the bottom, looks more professional in my eyes lol.**_

_**In the End Translation Corner**_

_Name:__ Kazerasshu_

_Classification:__ Zanpakuto_

_Affiliation:__ Naruto Uzumaki_

_Description:_

_The Zanpakuto of Naruto Uzumaki, former Fukutaicho of the Goteijusantei. Kazerasshu is a weapon which can harness and manipulate the surrounding air currents, bending them to the will of the user and turning them into deadly attacks._

_Its abilities are broad considering the element it represents, and it is capable of launching anything from a single condensed wind blade to thousands of tiny blades capable of cutting an enemy to shreds. Because of this versatility Kazerasshu has a number of attacks and abilities available, including the offensive power of Ten no Kaze, which gathers the wind into a deadly condensed blade of air, and the defensive power of Ten no Arashi, which gathers the air into a miniature tornado around the user, protecting him from any external attacks._

_The spirit of Kazerasshu appears before its user as a Shinobi of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The spirit appears to be an inquisitive type, continuously asking its wielder about his actions and how he justifies them, but like his wielder he has a wish to improve himself, and continuously helps his user, training with him to such an effect._


	25. Under a Fake Sky

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Under a fake sky**_

Naruto frowned as he studied his friends sleeping face, so relaxed and serene. He could feel her breath against his cheek as she inhaled and exhaled. He was all for her feeling so at peace, but did she really have to fall asleep in his arms like that. He had nodded off himself mind you, so it was half his own fault. When he woke up he was about to move, but a weight leaning against his side stopped him. Naruto had turned his head to see Yugito fast asleep, using the crook of his shoulder as a pillow.

He was about to move, but the slightest movement made her grip him tighter, burrowing her head into his arm. So he chose to remain where he was, his eyes travelling from the smooth ceiling to her peaceful features and back again. He was also having a little trouble, considering the way she was pressing her considerable assets against him. A nice soft swell against his side, coupled with her warm breath against his cheek and the leg hooked around his were very difficult things to try and ignore.

The door at the other end of the room opened with a creek, taking his attention from the sleeping woman to whoever was entering. It was one of the Arrancar, but one he hadn't seen before. The woman was young looking compared to Nel-san.

She wore a white jacket, the sleeves extending well beyond her hands, a dark purple obi sash tied loosely around her waist, baggy white pants partially hidden by knee high white boots. A Zanpakuto was at her hip. Its hilt covered in purple cloth with a white butt and gold engraved guard, sheathed in a simple purple scabbard with familiar gold engravings. The woman was quite beautiful with long flowing dark blue hair, mapping out a rounded face of flawless cream coloured skin and expressive lavender eyes that seemed to lack pupils. Around her neck was a necklace of fangs and teeth which he guessed were the remnants of her Hollow mask.

The woman looked at the two and raised a delicate eyebrow, to which Naruto grinned sheepishly. "She fell asleep like this"

The girl didn't respond, instead she raised her hand, pointing to the door. "Aizen-sama has called you"

"Right," He said in reply, and looked around for something he could use to substitute himself with. Finally he found it, the pillow she was supposed to be using instead of his shoulder. With his free hand he took it, careful enough not to awaken the blonde and slowly edged it between him and her. Her hand grabbed the pillow, and in a quick motion he rolled off the bed, landing in a crouch on the floor.

He looked up at the girl, his smile still in place. She looked at him with a frown, then at Yugito. "Her too"

"Come on, she's had a rough couple of days." He pleaded sheepishly, hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Just let her sleep for now and I'll fill her in later"

The woman let out a breath, before shrugging. "You explain it to Aizen-sama"

"Sure thing," he replied, rising from his place and following his guide out the door. They walked through Nel-sans living quarters and out into the winding corridors of the fortress proper. Naruto frowned as he was led down the corridors. There was something about this woman that he found eerily familiar. It was almost like he had seen those eyes before.

The woman continued on silently for several minutes, not looking to make small talk. After a while he couldn't take it anymore, and decided to make an attempt. "So are you one of Nel-sans Fracción? What's your name?"

"Yes," she replied evenly, "I am one of Nelliel-sama's Fracción, and my name is Rafaela, Rafaela Hasiasol"

He didn't recognize the name, but there was something about this woman that he found familiar. They walked on for a few more moments, he himself deep in thought, and it wasn't until he heard the woman's voice that he was aware that she was gazing at him from the corner of her eyes.

"What's your name? It's rude that I answer you yet you don't answer me." She said in a soft monotone, those familiar lavender eyes gazing at him.

He grinned sheepishly. "Oh, sorry, guess I went off to my own world there for a bit. My name is Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto."

Her eyes widened slightly at the name, before returning to normal once again. He noticed, just barely, and wondered if she also recognized him from somewhere. She continued to stare at him, a frown on her features, almost as if she was trying to remember a distant memory. After a while he began to feel a little uncomfortable.

"What?"

"Nothing." she replied, eyes once again watching the hallway ahead. "It's just that I feel that I've met you somewhere before"

"Yeah," He replied, surprisingly her ever so slightly, "I have the same feeling, Rafaela-san. For some reason I feel like I should know you but-" He shrugged, cutting himself off before he finished.

Rafaela looked at him again for a moment, before returning her eyes to the well worn route to their leader's throne room. The rest of the trip was followed in an uncomfortable silence between the two until they reached their destination. Unlike before the throne room was now empty. Only Aizen himself was present, sitting idly on his high backed white throne, hand holding up his head by the chin.

"Ah, Naruto-kun. Thank you for coming." He greeted in his usual soft tone. He stopped short, looking around before settling his gaze on Rafaela. "I asked for the two of them, Rafaela"

The girl flinched, but before she could speak up Naruto stepped in. "My fault Aizen-san. I asked her to let Yu-chan sleep for a little while longer. I'll fill her in on the details afterwards"

"I see." Aizen replied after a moment's thought. "Then that will do. Rafaela, please leave us"

The Arrancar nodded her head, before turning on her heel and walking out of the throne room at a brisk, yet dignified pace. She cast one last glance at Naruto before she left, but he saw in her eyes that she was slightly relieved to be away from this man's presence.

"So, Aizen-san," Naruto began when Rafaela left through the archway, "What is so important that you would need to call for me so soon after that little incident"

The man smiled, before rising from his throne and walking down the broad stone steps at a leisurely pace. "Yes, Naruto-kun there is a reason why I called for you. As you know there are others out there like you and Yugito-san, others who once held within them monsters who forced them to become enslaved to their own darkness. I would like to gather them together in one place and release them from their enslavement"

Naruto took a few steps to the side as the man came down to his level, his eyes not leaving his face as he continued to speak. "Including you and Yugito-san there are nine such beings, known as Jinchuriki in the living plain. I would like your help in gathering them and convincing them to join my army."

"I have a feeling that they will not be easily convinced." Naruto said. "Your approach with gathering Jinchuriki seems more along the lines of sending hit squads than negotiators"

Aizen raised a brow ever so slightly. "And how should we approach them, Naruto-kun?"

"You are approaching them under the assumption that they are Hollows. That they would see the almighty power of you and your Arrancar and join you because they either fear you, or respect your power." Naruto explained, he himself mimicking Aizen's movements, the two encircling each other. "For most Jinchuriki you need to approach them as you would a human, a scared, traumatised, wronged human. They will act threateningly to anyone but someone who understands them, understands their situation."

"So you are saying I need to send a Jinchuriki to recruit a Jinchuriki?"

"That would be an easier option. Either that or someone who has been in that situation." Naruto replied. "And most of your Arrancar would be taken out of the list immediately"

"How so?"

"Your Arrancar are either bloodthirsty or starving to fight a strong opponent." The blonde explained, most of these assumptions were made during his time travelling with Yugito. At the beginning of their journeying together there were times when she would tense up if he made a sudden movement, or shy away when he moved a little too close into her comfort zone. She had acted like a wounded animal, when in fact under the tough façade she had been nothing more than an abused kitten.

"So you are suggesting that I send you two out into the wilderness alone with no backup." Aizen asked with a raised brow.

"Unless there are Arrancar within your ranks which fit the criteria,"

"There are a couple." the Emperor of Hueco Mundo conceded after a while, turning around and walking up the steps, hands clamped behind his back. Naruto hesitated for a moment, before following the overlord of Las Noches up the marble steps. "Tell me Naruto-kun what do you know about Hollows?"

"Very little," Naruto replied, "Can't really learn much about them when they're trying to kill and eat me."

"Well their behaviour is governed by a certain aspect, one of the ten aspects of death." Aizen explained as he casually climbed the steps to his throne. "Greed, rage, loneliness, nihilism, insanity, each Hollows personality is based around these ten characteristics in one way or another – but out of these ten there is an aspect which makes them understanding, makes them more, if you shall say, human. This aspect is sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?"

"If you were to assemble a team of Arrancar to lead then I would suggest you gather warriors with that aspect." The architect explained as he took his seat by his throne, Naruto came to a halt on the second and first step. "Those whose aspect is sacrifice are not very common because they refuse to eat humans, they instead hunt fellow hollows. They feel emotions including love, hate, joy, sadness and so on far more acutely than the other nine."

"Then do you have a list?"

"For another time," Aizen rebuked lightly, "For now I am going to place both you and Yugito-san under the tutelage of Nelliel, so she can teach you both how to control your Hollow powers and abilities."

"And our Shinigami powers?" Naruto asked, immediately feeling Kazerasshu's voice. _It is not necessary, a Shinigami can only learn from his Zanpakuto._

"If you can already communicate with your Zanpakuto then there is little need for someone to teach you." Aizen said, adding to his Zanpakuto's assessment. "You can converse with your spirit can't you?"

"Yes"

"And Yugito-san"

"I am not sure." Naruto replied, before adding. "I will ask her when she wakes up"

"Indeed," Sosuke agreed, "But I will not keep you much longer. You will return to Nelliel's rooms and she will begin training you at her leisure – Rafaela."

Naruto nodded, before turning to see the same dark blue haired Arrancar waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase. He walked down the stairs, seeing her turn on her heel and stalk out of the chamber, himself following in her wake.

* * *

The living quarters for Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Tres Espada of the Arrancar army weren't anything like he had expected. For one thing they were not a small collection of rooms at all. It was a palace within the fortress of Las Noches, a huge assortment of rooms and training grounds in a domed structure large enough to overshadow most castles and palaces of the living world.

The blonde entered his new sensei's living quarters, following on the heels of her youngest Fracción and stopped as he looked up upon the balcony leading out from the open space living room. There, standing at the edge was his friend. Yugito was stretching her arms over her head, sighing in elation when she heard the groaning of her bones and muscles.

Nauto walked up to the balcony, smirking as she continued to stretch the kinks from her body. She had taken to wearing the uniform of the Arrancar. Along sleeved white v-neck shirt and baggy pants with black trim, white ankle boots and a loose blue obi sash where she kept the sheathed form of her Zanpakuto. Yugito had done her hair up into a long ponytail thanks to a white strip of cloth and as she finished stretching and started shaking herself off the cloth covered ponytail began to swish from side to side almost hypnotically.

"Feeling better?" Naruto asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Much better," Yugito replied, cracking her neck muscles, "Just wanted to test this new body out is all. Wanna come with me?"

"For what?"

She smiled brightly and grabbing his hand launched them both from the balcony. The two flew through the air, performing flawless somersaults before landing on the sands in a crouch. Rising from their positions she led him on until they were a good distance from any visible structures. Naruto easily kept up with his companion, deciding to go along with whatever she had planned.

Finally they came to a stop, both taking deep, calming breaths. Naruto turned to be met with his friends almond eyes. "So what did you want to do?"

"Train with me." She said with a smile, drawing her Zanpakuto in one smooth motion. He raised a brow playfully. "I want to see what I can do with this sword, and I trust only you to not make it the talk of the whole world"

He shook his head in bemusement, before drawing his own sword in one smooth motion. "How much do you know about your sword?"

"I know her name."

"Then by all means,"

"Rise, Izanami." she whispered, causing her sword to transform into the weapon she remembered from her battle in her inner world. Naruto studied the released Zanpakuto for several heartbeats. It was a striking weapon, from the long blue ribbon fluttering from the butt to the same coloured cloth covering the hilt, the black guard to the flawless liquid silver blade.

"Beautiful." He found himself saying, before smiling mischievously. "The swords not bad either."

She blushed slightly at the comment, before pouting playfully. "Go on then, let's see your sword."

"As you wish." he replied before bringing his weapon up, running his fingertips along the flat side of the blade. "Descend, Kazerasshu."

He saw his fellow blondes eyes widen when his swords side increased threefold, from the half long hilt to the guard, curved down to offer protection to the wielders hands. The long, broad blade, serrated on one side and two spikes on the top third of the other side.

"That sword." she whispered. "It's impressive."

"Really?" Naruto grinned, bringing the huge blade up to rest on his shoulder. "A sword's effectiveness depends on the one wielding it."

She raised her sword, pointing it at him with a wicked smile. "I want to learn how to fight like a Shinigami, and I want you to teach me."

"Most of what I do is out of reflex." Naruto replied. "So I can only teach you by going through the motions"

"That's okay." she replied. "I was always one who learned through doing."

"Then I have a feeling we're going to get along just fine." Naruto found himself saying, gripping his sword with both hands and holding it at the ready. "We'll learn together."

* * *

Naruto yawned as he walked through the endless hallways, absently wiping the gum out of his eyes with the back of his hand. He had been woken up by his guide, that same strange girl and ordered to follow. Rafaela was quiet today, and any attempts he made at conversation were ignored, so he just silently followed the woman through the white stone corridors.

He didn't ask where he was going, and he didn't ask what was in store for him when he got there. All would be revealed in time. But he did know that he was still in Nelliel's palace, after all her accommodations were pretty large, all of the Espada's were by his guess, and there were more Arrancar living here than he had first estimated. It wasn't just her three Fracción. There was a small force of servants who he guessed lacked the needed power and skill to become combat level Arrancar. As well as this there was another woman who he had seen wandering the corridors on occasion, but hadn't been able to find out much about.

Finally he was lead into a large, mostly barren chamber of white walls and black marble floor. Rafaela raised a hand, gesturing him to stop, before she continued on into the chamber alone. Once she reached the centre of the hallway the Arrancar came down to a knee and bowed her head. Naruto wondered what she was doing, and was about to ask, but something stopped him.

It was spiritual pressure, and it was powerful. In a blur of motion he noticed a silhouette appear in front of Rafaela, a towering shapely form. After a moment he recognised this new Arrancar as the woman he had noticed wandering around the corridors. She was tall and shapely. Her skin a coca colour, with long dishevelled blonde hair, braided into three thin locks. Upon closer inspection Naruto saw that her eyes were a brilliant green, with thin blonde eyelashes.

Her attire was, interesting, to say the least. She wore a white jacket with a high collar, covering the bottom half of her face and cut off mid way around her ample chest, bearing her flat stomach and shapely thighs, a long white skirt covered the lower half of her body, a black sash tied to her waist.

"Harribel-sama," Rafaela acknowledged with a low bow, eyes not leaving the square marble tiles, "I have brought him to you as Nelliel-sama asked."

The woman, Harribel, looked down at Rafaela for a moment, not a hint of emotion in her cool emerald eyes. "Thank you Rafaela. I will take him from here."

"Hai, Harribel-sama." Rafaela stood from her place, turned on her heel and marched out of the chamber, giving Naruto a sideways glance and a nod as she exited.

"So you are the one Aizen-sama has been so interested in." He saw Harribel approach, taking graceful gliding steps towards him. Emerald orbs studying him intently. "I am Tia Harribel."

"Uh…hey, nice to meet you," Naruto greeted back, smiling sheepishly as she walked in a circle around him, sort of reminding him of a predator prowling around an unlucky prey, "So I suppose that means you're my teacher?"

"Teacher" Harribel repeated the word with a nod. Her voice had a slight monotone to it as she finished her circling around the blonde, standing in front of him once again. "I am going to teach both of you through combat."

"Both of us?"

A shadow fell upon him, and the blonde looked up just in time to see Yugito fall from the roof rafters, landing beside him in a crouch and rising gracefully to her feet. His fellow blonde looked bright, well rested and ready for the day. Harribel raised a delicate eyelash, folding her arms underneath her incredible bust. "She has been here for the last half hour."

She turned and walked to the centre of the chamber, and Naruto, although he didn't mean too, found himself gazing at the toned and shapely legs of his instructor. Yugito noticed this, and with a slight cough nudged him gently in the side, when that didn't work she elbowed him. Naruto gasped painfully, hands holding onto his side as he glared at his friend, who shrugged and smiled, an almost teasingly innocent smile.

"I saw that." Both went rigid still at Harribel's words, the Arrancar turned around. "Don't let me catch you eyeing me up again, Naruto-san."

"Hai, sensei," Naruto stuttered, ignoring Yugito as she giggled at his expense.

"Now then," Harribel spoke up as she reached back, drawing her sword from its sheath. It was an interesting work of craftsmanship. The blade was broad, yet with a distinct gap in the centre, leaving only the edges. The guard was a western style cross with a purple, rounded hilt. "I want the two of you to come at me with everything you have, understood?"

Yugito and Naruto looked at each other, before quickly drawing their Zanpakuto and vanishing with a pair of low level booms, reappearing on either side of Harribel and swinging their swords. The Arrancar ducked Naruto's decapitating swing and blocked Yugito's with the blade of her own sword before spinning in a crouch, landing a strong kick to the females midsection and sending her skidding backwards. She then brought her attention to Naruto, sidestepping his thrust and, grabbing his collar sent him flying across the training ground, landing on his feet and skidding to a halt beside his partner.

Harribel took a deep breath, and then fell into a sword fighting stance, legs bent and spread, posture stooped and sword held to the side, pointing straight at them, running the length of her free hand. Her eyes were entirely focused on them and Naruto immediately felt respect for this woman, truly she was a skilled and experienced warrior.

He looked to Yugito, and moved his mouth in muted speech. She caught on quickly, and nodded her head. Naruto smiled, before vanishing in a sonido, reappearing behind Harribel and stabbing out with his sealed blade. Harribel spun around to block his attack with her own sword. Yugito made her move then, rushing up behind their instructor and jumping up high, holding her Zanpakuto over her head.

"Rise, Izanami!"

Yugito swung her sword in mid transformation, watching as a jet of azure flame followed the tip, sending a blade down towards Harribel. Tia saw it coming however, and vanished in her own sonido, leaving Naruto to bear the brunt of the attack. Naruto saw it coming, and used his own speed to get out of dodge, watching as the flames collided with the black tiles in an explosion of shattered and charred marble. Naruto starred at the crater, and levelled a glare at his comrade.

Yugito smiled sheepishly. "Sorry!"

* * *

If one asked Naruto about his first impression of Nelliel, he would have told you…well. He wasn't sure what he would tell you. The Arrancar he and Yugito had come to live with would be considered complete polar opposites of each other. It was difficult to describe, and could take a while of explanation to fully comprehend.

To start with there were her three Fracción, whether they were her lieutenants or bodyguards Naruto wasn't sure, but he did know that each of them was strong. The first ones he had been introduced to were Pesche Guatiche and Dondochaka Bilstin, two Arrancar who had been with Nelliel since before she had become a member of the Espada.

Pesche was a tall and lanky Arrancar, characterized by shoulder length blonde hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes. The remnants of his Hollow mask was what looked like a white plate covering the lower half of his face, a line running down the middle. He was a little out there, but he was friendly and outgoing.

Dondochaka was a larger and bulkier Arrancar, taking the form of a heavy set, tall man with short brown hair, tanned skin and dark eyes. The remains of his Hollow mask were a lower jaw along his chin, lined with molar teeth. While Naruto thought of Pesche as a little strange Dondochaka was a level down from his comrade in arms. A mellowed out and relaxed character, but also almost fanatically protective of Nelliel.

Then there was her third Fracción. The girl who had escorted him to Aizen's throne room, and while her two elders were more outgoing, loud and friendly she was more reserved, and level headed. When he thought about it he wondered if Rafaela was a naturally shy person. He had noticed that when around those she knew she was friendly enough, but throw her into a situation with people she didn't know and she was suddenly quiet, shy and lacked any confidence in herself. Rafaela's behaviour only fuelled his suspicions that he knew her from somewhere. The way she acted was practically screaming familiarity to him right down to his bones but for the life of him he couldn't quite place it.

Then there were the other Arrancar. Calling her a Fracción didn't seem to be right, what with her spiritual pressure and power. She was more like an apprentice to the Tres Espada. The woman's name was Tia Harribel, and she was something of an enigma to him.

Of course that enigma paled in comparison to the enigma which was Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. If one were to ask Naruto what he thought of any Arrancar within the walls of Las Noches he would be able to give a person an honest, and slightly well thought out answer. But ask him about Nel and he would be at a loss. Out of all the Arrancar of Las Noches Nelliel was one of the greatest of enigmas.

A year after he had joined Aizen's army and officially been named a Fracción of Nelliel he had been at a loss. She had been strict with both Yugito and he when it came to their training, yet she didn't have an overbearing or imposing manner about her. Her aura was not like any of the other Espada. While theirs were varying degrees of negative emotions, and varying levels of hostility. Nelliel's aura was one of calm serenity and peace. It made both Vizard relieved to be placed under her command. Even with her seemingly uncaring and cold demeanour both he and Yugito had even noticed the Espada smiling on a couple of occasions when they mastered a tricky combination or new variation of the basic Hollow arts.

He had asked questions about her to her three other Fracción, and had gained a little insight to this walking puzzle. Pesche, while out there and strange was also the man to go to when one wanted the answer to a question. The man was the centre of a gossip grapevine within Las Noches, apparently.

He laughed lightly to Naruto's question. _"Nel-sama is not as cold and detached as you think Naruto-kun. She is a person with two faces. One is for the violence of battle, cold and detached. The other of a kind and peace loving individual…as far as Espada go anyway. Give her time, and I'm sure she'll open up to the both of you."_

Naruto took that to heart, and had since tried to prove himself to his superior, hoping that one day she would trust him and Yugito as well as she does her other Fracción. When he wasn't training with Yugito, or getting his ass handed to him by Harribel he was out in the middle of the desert either training with his Zanpakuto or meditating to try and remember his forgotten past. He had gained various glimpses and incoherent visions, but never enough to jog his memory.

It was on one of these meditation trips that he ran into Nelliel, or rather she found him. He had been in deep meditation for several hours, in the middle of a titanic training battle with his Zanpakuto. Under Kazerasshu's tutelage he had slowly regained all of his Shinigami abilities, from his knowledge of the releases of his sword to his ability in Kido. By the end of the year he had regained most of his fighting knowledge.

It had happened quite suddenly, Kazerasshu was about to fire an advanced offensive Kido spell against him, and he was finishing his incantation for the suitable defensive spell when he was unceremoniously thrown from his inner world. He felt pain in his forehead, forcing him from the trance, and was looking back and forth for the one responsible only to find that it was a pebble.

He looked up to see Nelliel sitting cross-legged in front of him, Zanpakuto placed on the sand in front of her as she starred at him intently, hands cupping her face almost like a couple of crutches. For a brief second Naruto forgot all etiquette. "What was that for!"

"I was sitting here starring at you for the better part of an hour and you wouldn't come out of it." She raised her hand to show him three small pebbles, each sandwiched between a thin and elegant finger. "So I improvised, and look it worked."

Naruto rubbed the spot on his forehead where the rock hit, and pouted at her, expecting to get nothing more than the cold visage, but what was the harm in trying. "Well geez Nel-chan, you could have just nudged me or something without knocking my head off."

She starred at him for a moment, either because she did not expect to hear him say her name with the suffix or because she was not used to such casual speech. Then her façade broke apart, and she began to giggle, holding the back of her hand against her mouth to hide the break in character. Naruto starred at her, dumbstruck. Finally she regained herself but when she removed her hand her lips were curled up in a small smile. "I know. But I wanted to see your reaction."

"You know," Naruto said, startling her ever so slightly, "You should smile more often. It suits you way better than the cold visage."

She looked at him for a moment, before her features softened and a true smile came to her face, serene and beautiful. "Thank you Naruto. Sometimes I wish I could smile more often too."

Silence prevailed for a moment. Then Nelliel stood up from her seating position, lifting her Zanpakuto by its strap in a fluid motion, and stretched the kinks out of her muscles. "Walk with me. It's a nice night and I could use the company."

Naruto rose from his position, and walked to her side, bowing slightly. "It would be an honour and a pleasure, Nel-sama."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Please, just call me Nel. When you're within the palace or alone on a night like this there's no need for ceremony."

"Hai, Nel-chan," He looked up with a sheepish smile, "Will that do?"

"That will do nicely, Naruto-kun." She smiled a little as they walked, then looked down at his clothing. "I see you've finally decided on a select uniform to wear, it suits you."

He looked down at his choice of clothing, considering that his old black robes had been too badly ripped and torn to be of any further use Naruto had gone through several styles, and had only recently decided on this uniform to be the one he would wear.

He was given a white long sleeved shirt with black trim, baggy white pants with an orange sash tied around his waist, and a pair of knee high white boots, also with black trim. Over the whole setup he wore a white overcoat lined with orange, reaching down to his knees with sleeves which reached well past his hands. The only thing that was originally his was his Zanpakuto, sheathed at his hip.

"I kind of went through twenty outfits. After a while Rafaela-chan threw these in my direction and told me to either wear them or go around naked. I chose to wear them." Nelliel looked like she was trying to hold back her laughter, and managed to down tune it to a few giggles, muffled by an elegant hand of course.

"I hear that you and Yugito-san are going through your training well. Harribel has nothing but praise for you."

Naruto looked at her in surprise. Tia Harribel was proud of them? Showering them with praise? The woman had put them through the ringer more times than he cared to count. In fact on their first training session she had beaten both him and Yu-chan to bloody pulps, without releasing her Zanpakuto he may add.

"Tia-chan is not very good at showing her feelings." Nelliel explained after a moment. "She has had a rough time here in Hueco Munda. She tends to keep to herself if there are people she doesn't know, and can be very self conscious about her looks. But she likes both you and Yugito-san, says you both have a lot of heart and determination to improve yourselves."

"Harribel-san is self conscious?" Now Naruto had a feeling Nel was messing with him. Why would Tia Harribel be conscious of her appearance? To put it short a woman like Tia Harribel should not be self-conscious about said appearance. Unless there was some scar or blemish under her collar.

"Ask her why she keeps that collar over the bottom half of her face some time." Nelliel replied with a sad smile. "I bet she would refuse to show it to you."

"Is it a scar or something?"

Nelliel shook her head. "It's not so much a scar, and it's not my place to tell you."

Naruto nodded his head. It wasn't Nelliel's place to tell him. That was up to Harribel-san herself, if she ever came to trust him that is. The two passed the time in a companionable silence, enjoying the dry desert air and the ups and downs of the sand dunes.

* * *

Three years passed, and Naruto had come to accept his place in the desert fortress of Hueco Mundo. Thanks to advanced training sessions with Nel-chan and Harribel-san he had mastered his Hollow mask to the point where he could call upon it at will, and had almost completely mastered the Shikai elements of his Zanpakuto.

Nelliel had gradually opened up to both him and Yugito as time passed, and had spent increasingly more time with the two Jinchuriki, either through teaching, sparring or simply speaking with them. It wasn't long until both she and Yugito struck up an accord, and the Espada had assigned both him and his fellow blonde to guard her during the Espada meetings.

It was around this time that he noticed his master being continuously harassed and challenged by another Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga. Naruto didn't like the man on sight, and by her glare he guessed his fellow Jinchuriki didn't like him much either. It wasn't the violent streak the man had, for he was used to seeing it in the fortress. It wasn't his vulgar attitude that rubbed the blonde the wrong way either. It was his personal vendetta against Nel-chan, and his complete disrespect to all women in general.

The man seemed to dislike his commander, to the point where he would challenge her at every opportunity. He was soundly beaten every time of course, the 8th Espada didn't stand a chance against the 3rd. But the fact that he came at her time and time again made it impossible to forget about him. In fact he came after her for no reason, there were more powerful Espada for him to challenge, why did he continually challenge his master?

Then he realised the reason, and it made him sick to his stomach to hear it. He challenged Nelliel because she was a woman, a woman who ascended him in rank. That was the only reason. The 8th Espada was a chauvinistic pig, a bully who couldn't stand a woman being higher in rank.

Being around Arrancar like Nel, Harribel and Yugito had shown Naruto that it didn't matter if someone had a penis or not, they were capable just the same. So he tolerated Nnoitra's continuous challenges on Nelliel's superior, mainly because when he asked her if he could destroy the bastard she simply stopped him. But it still angered the blonde every time he saw the man. If Nel-chan wasn't around he would blatantly insult any of her Fracción he came across, mainly Rafaela and Yugito. It drove him crazy.

No one insulted his friends like that.

No one!

* * *

_**Sorry everyone for the lateness of this chapter, and for the lack of updates for the last month for that matter. I had a massive piece of coursework to do for my placement year and kind of had to make that my first priority. Mainly because there were log sheets I should have done from the start which I started three days before the deadline, a three thousand word essay, a model of a building I was working on and a review from my employer. All have been completed and sent in today, which takes a load off my mind, all I have to do now is wait for the results then see about getting a rented house in Belfast, wish me luck **__**.**_

_**Then there was the beginning of a major football…or soccer tournament. You all know it as the World Cup from South Africa…now at the beginning I favoured the English because I figured they had a chance, then they drew to the USA, good team mind you, but it was just the goal that got me pissed off. It fell out of Green's hands for god's sake! Anyway now my bet goes to Germany after they smashed Australia 4-0. I still hope England do well though, and if they meet France I want them to win at least 2-1…the frogs cheated against Ireland so it seems only right if another Isles team hands them their asses!**_

_**Anywho this chapter is mostly to show you that I am not dead and a bit of character development. It's strange that the first three quarters of this chapter were from a section I abandoned and decided to do over, but I found that both went well together, so I re-commissioned It, lol. **_

**____****Added Note: **_**Fixed up the chapter, the extra description paragraphs have been removed. Thanks to those of you who told me I described a few things twice.**_


	26. Behind the Collar

_**Chapter 6**_

**_Behind the Collar_**

Naruto watched with a bored expression as Nnoitra Jiruga once again charged his boss, and was mercilessly put down with minimal effort. The male Espada flew back several meters, landing hard on the white sands and skidding to a halt. Nelliel looked at the rising cloud of dust which signified the eighths passage with a face of stone, her sword, still sheathed held idly in her right hand.

The whiskered blonde was only half interested in the skirmish, it would end like all the others before them had. Nnoitra would strut and boast his superiority, and then he would get his ass handed to him by his master. The Arrancar would whine and roar and threaten as he was driven to the ground time and time again, and through all this Nel would stand with a face of stone and a relaxed posture.

Yugito groaned as she sat beside him, the two Vizard were relaxing on a rock outcropping, and like her friend she was only watching the battle with a passing interest. "This is embarrassing. Why doesn't she just kill him know and be done with it?"

Naruto shrugged, and then smiled. "You know how Nel-sama is. She doesn't kill unless it's absolutely necessary."

Yugito thought about it, before nodding her head. "I know, doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Yeah," Naruto replied, lying on his back to look up at the fake sky of Las Noches. There was an explosion, followed by a smash, followed by a stream of curses. The blonde knew what happened even if he didn't see it. Nnoitra charged, Nel hit him, the lesser Espada flew through the air and collided with one of the cylindrical pillars which were scattered across the desert.

They were in Nel-sama's corner if she needed them. He knew she didn't, but he liked to think she would call them if she needed them. In Nnoitra's corner was his singular Fracción, Tesla, who stood a good distance away from the duelling Espada, himself sitting on the top of a pillar and watching the battle intently. He didn't know Nnoitra's lieutenant all that well, and had no interest in getting to know him while he remained under the Octava's banner.

He also saw the tall, lithe form of the seventh Espada also watching the battle. Like with Rafaela he had a feeling that he knew this man from somewhere, but unlike with his fellow Fracción whom he felt protective off he felt an ominous air every time he saw him. Everything about the man just made the whiskered blonde want to smash his face in.

Another explosion rocked the very ground, and he looked back at the battle to see Nelliel standing tall, not a single piece of her form was dishevelled, while her opponent was lying on the ground, burned, bruised and bloodied. His master sighed, turned around and began walking towards them, slipping her still sheathed Zanpakuto into her sash, with a couple of Sonido's her two Vizard guards blurred into existence, flanking her as she walked.

"Where do you think you're going, Nelliel!" All three turned to see Nnoitra slowly rising to a knee, panting and shaking. "This isn't over yet!"

Nel sighed, "Yes it is. I grow tired of this."

"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" The Octava roared as he tried to stand, but fell back onto a knee when his legs buckled under him. "You think you're so special don't you? Just because Aizen gave you those two Vizard toys you think you're so much better than me."

Both Naruto and Yugito bristled on being referred to as toys, and it was Naruto who turned to Nelliel. "Can I please kill him?"

The Tres Espada looked at him for a moment, and her look immediately told him the answer to his question. She turned again, looking Nnoitra in the eyes as she spoke. "We were born as Hollows, little more than beasts. As Arrancar we have been given back a piece of our humanity, and yet you are so infatuated with the idea of combat and blood that I am ashamed to be of the same species as you."

The Octave scoffed, "Heh, you still believe that 'holier than thou' bullshit. We are still Hollows Nelliel, and we are still monsters!"

"That is your opinion." She replied.

His dismissal only served to anger the Octava more, and with a roar of hatred he screamed at her. "One day you won't have your Vizard pets to protect you Nelliel!"

"With you I don't require their protection," Nel, replied with a sigh, not even turning around when she spoke. "I can take you on by myself."

She vanished in a Sonido a few moments later, her two guardians following suit, leaving an irate Octava and his allies behind.

A light chuckle made the enraged Espada glare up to see his ally of necessity standing over him, looking down upon him with those mirth filled yellow eyes. He hated this man just as much as he hated Nelliel, but Orochimaru also hated her and the enemy of thy enemy. "She is quite powerful. We would be hard pressed to defeat her if we fought her together."

"Shut up."

Rafaela was waiting for them as Nelliel and her two Vizard bodyguards appeared on the main balcony of her palace. Nelliel sighed as she stepped from the railing to the marble floor in a smooth gliding step, cracking her shoulder and neck muscles. Naruto and Yugito remained at her side until they were safely within the palace.

"You shouldn't have to put up with him day-in, day-out Nel-chan." Naruto said at last, casting a glare out the balcony.

"I agree," Yugito added with a frown, "All he does is harass you whenever he sees you. It makes me want to rip his head off."

The Tres Espada sighed at her two bodyguards. In the three years since she had taken them in they had only become more and more overprotective of her and her Fracción. "Remain calm, both of you. You know he lacks the power to defeat me. He is little more than an annoyance."

Both Vizard frowned, but nodded their understanding. She knew it wouldn't be the end of it, but for now they would hold their tongues. Nelliel didn't admit it openly, but she was beginning to tire of Nnoitra's antics. It was obvious that he would never back down no matter how many times she defeated him. "Naruto, go and call upon Tia-chan. I require her presence for a moment."

The whiskered blonde nodded his head before turning on his heel and stalked from the room. He marched down the corridors. Mind a mass of twisting emotions. Why did Nel-chan continuously put up with Nnoitra and his challenges? Why did she put up with his taunts? It was glaringly obvious that he couldn't stand her, and he didn't care how strong Nel-chan thought she was. One day Nnoitra would get lucky. He would get a lucky slash and hurt her, and the day he did he would kill him.

Before he knew it he found himself standing before Harribel-san's door and after clearing his throat he brought up his hand and knocked. There was no answer. Naruto waited for a minute or two before knocking again. Again there was no answer. The blonde frowned before pushing the door, surprised when he found it unlocked.

It was dark within, with just the smallest rays of sunlight escaping the drawn blinds. Naruto knew that Harribel had a small assortment of rooms to herself, including a large relaxation chamber along with a handful of personal training and meditation rooms. If she was here then she would be in one of the smaller rooms, and he didn't want to keep Nel-chan waiting long.

He walked into the large chamber of her room, a sparse chamber with nothing more than a couple of opulent white sitting chairs and couches in the centre. The blonde walked slowly into the centre, looking around nervously. Naruto knew that Tia Harribel was a very reserved person who liked her privacy. He never dared enter her chamber before without her expressed permission.

Naruto didn't know why he was entering his sensei's quarters. Well maybe he did. Truth be told Harribel was a person he respected for her ability and strength. However beside all of this he knew very little about her. She mainly kept to herself, and only ever really opened up to Nel-chan, and usually only when they were alone.

"Harribel-san," Naruto spoke up, hoping to get her attention if she was in her chambers. "Nelliel-sama has asked for your presence!"

There was no response, and with a sigh the blonde continued to search for her. Where else would she be instead of her quarters? The main training chambers, perhaps Nel-chan had already found her.

"Harribel-san, are you here!"

He opened a door and stopped, becoming rigid and straight as he found his quarry. Harribel sat cross-legged in the centre of the small meditation chamber, eyes closed and body relaxed. He stood there, eyes wide and mouth gapping open in pure, unadulterated shock.

The zipper of her cut jacket was open, revealing something that Naruto thought he would never see, her face and upper chest. Tia Harribel's lower face was completely covered by the white porcelain like substance of a Hollow mask, two rows of predatory teeth running along the jaw. It continued on down her neck and stretched down to partially cover her considerable chest, ending in two oval shaped plates covering where her nipples would be.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open, pure green orbs starring at him for a moment before widening in shock. Naruto knew he should have run. He should jump out the door, utter apologies and run for his life. But he didn't. He stood there, a dry gulp just audible from his throat.

In a flash she was on her feet, hand shooting up to zip up her jacket and cover her mask. She spoke, her voice was the same stony calm as ever, yet he felt a slight flicker in her spiritual pressure. "Yes, Naruto-san, what do you want?"

He bowed low and spoke in a hurried voice, the words spilling from his mouth. "I apologise for barging in like that Harribel-san, but Nelliel-sama has asked for your presence and you didn't answer the door and the door was open and I-"

He stopped when he saw Harribel walk past him and out of the chamber at a brisk pace, threatening to leave the blonde behind. Quickly Naruto rose and went after her, a single word going off over and over again in his mind, berating himself for his stupidity.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_

_

* * *

_

Naruto hit the ground hard, grimacing as he struck the unforgiving bedrock. Slowly he rose to his knees, taking in huge gulps of air. "Come on Naruto, we're not done yet."

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde growled as he rose to his feet and fell into a basic sword fighting stance, waiting for his Zanpakuto to come at him. Kazerasshu did so without hesitation, his face of stone and his eyes cold as ice as he began with a horizontal slash. The blonde was just able to parry, and counter with a handful of stabs of his own, all expertly intercepted.

A foot collided with his stomach, forcing the wind from his lungs and sending him flying through the air, landing harshly on the desert sands. Naruto slowly rose, taking in another huge gulp before glaring at his Zanpakuto. That glare turned to surprise, "Oh crap."

"_Hado Sanjuusan; Sokatsui (Way of Destruction 33; Blue Fire, Crash Down)"_

He had no time to perform a counter, and so the blonde blurred away, reappearing with a grateful sigh just out of the spells range. Naruto broke out into a run, speeding towards his opponent at blurring speeds, "Ten no Kaze."

He fired two low powered wind blades at his opponent to keep him off balance, and jumping into the air brought the huge blade down on him with everything he had. The resultant explosion created a small crater in the dune, kicking up sand in such density that it created a mist. Kazerasshu blocked him, one handed, a smile on his face. "You are improving, Ten no Arashi."

He blurred away just as a small tornado encircled his Zanpakuto, sending even more sand into the air. Naruto landed several meters away, skidding to a halt and waited for the defensive technique to end. Kazerasshu didn't give it time and exploded from the dying winds, blade glowing a soft blue as he prepared a mid level Ten no Kaze.

Naruto countered with his own wind blade, and the two met in the centre, causing an explosion of lashing wind and flying sand. His Zanpakuto exploded from the dust right before him, and ignoring his wielders shocked expression lashed out with another Ten no Kaze, this time at point blank range. The blonde flew from the sand plume, landing hard on his back and rolling uncontrollably down the steep dune. He regained his footing, skidding a hundred and eighty degrees so he was facing Kazerasshu again.

He knew that his Zanpakuto was going to up the tempo of their training sessions. Kazerasshu had explained to Naruto that he believed the blonde was ready to begin training in the second and final release stage. He had heard of Bankai, and knew deep down that it was the ultimate power of a Shinigami. It had taken several more sessions before he was able to pull his spirit to the material plain, and he was only physically able to keep him here for an hour a day.

The moment he had completed his task Kazerasshu had come at him, again and again. These were not like the ones in his inner world. These were gruelling, physically exhausting matches of skill and power. More than once he had found himself on the receiving end of an attack which was more than capable of killing him.

Suddenly his Zanpakuto stopped in midstride, eyes turning to scan the dunes beyond. "What is it?"

"We appear to have company."

Naruto followed Kazerasshu's gaze, and saw her walking down the dune towards them. Tia Harribel descended the dune with a gliding step in her movements that spoke volumes of her grace and experience. The blonde frowned as she approached, stopped a few meters from the two of them and eyed Kazerasshu curiously for a moment, "The spirit of your Zanpakuto?"

"Yea," Naruto replied, noticing the sword in Kazerasshu's hand vanish from his hand.

"We will continue this same time tomorrow, Naruto," his Zankakuto said, turning to him, "It appears she wishes to discuss something of importance with you."

"Gee, ya think?" Naruto replied chidingly, but frowned when he saw his sword disappear like a ghost in the night. Great, not even his Zanpakuto was willing to help him out of trouble, the traitor. He looked over at Harribel, who stood tall and imposing with her arms folded under her impressive bust. "Look, um, sorry for barging into your quarters like that earlier. But I did knock."

She said nothing, didn't even move an inch. This continued for a handful of seconds, and it was just the tiniest flicker of movement, but Naruto saw it, indecision in her usual stoic gaze. Finally after what seemed like an eternity of internal struggle she reached up with her gloved white hand, and pulled down the zipper on her jacket. Naruto was unable to tear his eyes away as she bared the remnants of her Hollow mask to him.

She hesitated for a moment, before she spoke, "this is the reason why I wear the high collar. This is the remnants of my Hollow mask. Does it scare you?"

"Are you kidding?" his words caught her off guard and she looked up into her fellow blondes brilliant azure eyes, he was grinning sheepishly as he spoke, "I've always respected you because you were my sensei, and a powerful warrior in your own right. I think it looks awesome."

"Awesome," she replied slowly, eyes slightly wide as she spoke. Harribel had been called many things in her long life, but awesome was not one of them.

"Yeah, it looks so cool," Naruto exclaimed with a smile. He suddenly looked thoughtful, "Besides I like your mask, gives you a more mysterious beauty about you."

Harribel was an Arrancar who had trained herself to never let her emotions become noticeably visible, only a select few people could see her without her public mask, so she settled for a small nod, "Thank you, Naruto."

"Ah don't thank me," Naruto replied with a sweep of his hand, grin firmly in place, "Don't thank me, just keep looking drop dead gorgeous and I'll call it even. Hehehe…um, I was just kidding Harribel-sama, honest."

Harribel let the slight release of killer intent ease. She had not taken offense to his flirting; in fact she found it very flattering. "Of course you were."

"Naruto!"

Yugito appeared in a blur, looking around for a few moments before settling her gaze on them. Her eyes widened when she took in Harribel's open jacket and she tilted her head to the side in curiosity. The Arrancar caught on when she looked down, and in a quick motion zipped her jacket back up to the collar.

"So that's why you wear the collar," the female Vizard said, mainly to herself, "It looks really cool."

Naruto sighed as he walked forward, gaining his friend and confidantes attention, "Can't you just let me know when you approach instead of suppressing your spirit energy like that."

Yugito smiled triumphantly, "So you couldn't sense me coming huh? Nel-chan was right. My control is second to none."

"Only in your head Yu-chan," Naruto replied teasingly, earning him a raspberry, "So what's the word?"

"Aizen-sama has called for us."

* * *

Both looked up at the high backed white throne, watching as Aizen looked down upon them with a slightly mirth filled gaze. The Vizard were completely focused on him, azure and almond orbs giving him their complete and undivided attention. The Shinigami rose from his throne and walked down the steps in gliding strides, his eyes not leaving theirs.

Naruto spoke first, his voice completely serious, "Where?"

"In the canyon of the Crescent moon, some ten thousand kilometres from the fortress," Aizen replied without hesitation, his steps echoing through the chamber as he descended to their level, "This information came at a fairly high price, he killed the entire search team, the last survivor was just able to send the distress signal before his head was separated from his shoulders. Its power is great, and by its spiritual signature it can only be a Jinchuriki."

"You want us to go, confront him, or her and see if this Jinchuriki can be recruited." Yugito said, her face that of stone and her voice crisp and clear.

"That is correct," Aizen replied with a mirth filled gaze, "It was as you said Naruto-kun, only a Jinchuriki can hope to understand another Jinchuriki."

Both looked at each other, before settling their gazes back to the Shinigami, "When do you want us to leave?"

"Immediately," their commander replied, now standing three steps up from them, "Assemble whoever you wish."

"I would like to volunteer, Aizen-sama," Harribel spoke up from her spot, leaning against the wall at the far side of the throne room.

"As would I," Rafaela added.

"They will need an Espada for backup, so I will accompany them," Nelliel said.

Aizen looked at the three Arrancar in turn, before returning his gaze to the Vizard, "Well?"

"We trust no one else," Naruto answered with a shrug.

"Very well then,"

* * *

The Canyon of the Crescent Moon was not an uncommon creation, a rip in the eternal desert which gave access to the underground Forest of Menos. Huge deadened trunks reached up from the base, ending in flattened stumps which roughly ended at the ridges of the gorge. Down below was a world of nightmares, but where the cries of various Hollow were a common occurrence now there was nothing but an eerie silence.

There was nothing within the canyon, not a single Hollow could be felt or heard in its enshrouded depths. The silence was broken by a monumental chorus of roars strong enough to shake the very ground. Loose rock was jarred free from the ridges and canyon walls, falling with a series of near deafening crashes.

"There's definitely something down there."

Naruto looked at his fellow Vizard with a nod, before peering over the ridge once again. They had made good time in reaching this place, only taking a few hours to traverse the full ten thousand kilometres between the fortress and the canyon. Nelliel, Harribel and Rafaela were directly behind them, allowing the two to converse. "I sense two presences down there, definitely high up on the strength scale."

Yugito nodded, "That's what I sense too."

"It would appear that our intel wasn't quite as reliable as we thought." Nelliel spoke up at last, coming beside the two and kneeling down, eyes keenly observing the enshrouded darkness below them. "Our scout confirmed one."

"Well now we have two."

Harribel turned to Rafaela, "You have better sensory abilities than anyone, what do you see?"

The younger Arrancar closed her eyes, and Naruto could feel her rietsu expand around her, becoming long tendrils of spiritual pressure which stretched out. After a moment she opened her eyes, "Two of them. Their power is definitely in line with high level Menos, and they have the feel of Jinchuriki about them."

Naruto and Yugito nodded, before the two of them moved. In unison they raised their right hands and ghosted them across their faces, allowing their Hollow masks to appear in a mesh of shard like spirit particles, giving them the appearances of a cat and a fox. The new appearances seemed more like the actual animals than the demonic visages that Nelliel remembered, and she idly wondered if this was proof that they now had complete control over their Hollow forms.

The two looked at each other one last time, before stepping over the ledge and falling towards the darkness below. They fell the full three hundred feet, landed and began walking as if they had just stepped down a single step. In a flash Nelliel, Harribel and Rafaela were behind them, easily keeping step with the Vizard as they walked through the eerie silence of the forest.

Finally they came to the centre of the canyon, and looked on at the sight. It was a small mountain of bodies and carcases, blood oozing at the base, staining the usually drab gray ground vermillion. There were hundreds upon hundreds of dead Hollows, along with the mutilated remains of the twenty Arrancar that consisted of the scouting team.

Together both Naruto and Yugito drew their Zanpakuto, followed by the members of their little expeditionary force. They formed into a circle, back to back, waiting for the inevitable appearance of their targets. They didn't have to wait long.

A single clawed fist, three fingers ending in wicked black claws landed on the top of the pile, and pulled, dragging smears of blood and skin. The creature reared its head, a nightmarish visage which seemed like a cross between a bear and a dog. Naruto took in a breath. He had seen this creature before. He knew this creature. Its body may be slimmer, its skin may now be white carapace with dark blue markings, but he knew this creature.

"Ichibi no Shukaku," he whispered, before frowning. How could he possibly know something like that?

The huge head of the sand beast lifted to face him, and slowly opened its mouth, revealing an eternal dark abyss within. A crimson orb appeared just a few inches in front of its jaws, pulsing and spraying rays of deadly light. The Shukaku glared at the invaders, before firing with a great roar.

* * *

_**Author's Note 1: **_Sorry this took so long guys, I had a lot of stuff to do between the last update and this one. I've just started my final year of university, which means a hell of a lot of extra work, but I should still be able to continue on with my hobby. The main problem is too many stories to write, I've overstretched myself a little.

**Author's Note 2: **This chapter was mainly a character building piece, something that I felt would be important for the future of this story, so for those of you who are getting bored don't worry I'm about to get back to the main story.

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and sorry again that it took so long.

Peace

Darth Malleus


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